EAST PROVIDENCE - A month to the day after the city's election, Joseph Larisa Jr., the departing Mayor of East Providence, conceded the at-large election to his opponent, Isadore Ramos. "It was time to concede and congratulate Izzy," he said.

The past month had been an in-and-out of court issue with the state board of elections, which did not want the public to be able to view copies of certain ballots. On Monday, Dec. 4, the board of elections conceded to the court and made those ballots available, the last of which were counted on Thursday, Dec. 7.

Mr. Larisa said that in a best-case scenario, he would have lost the absentee ballot race by four votes. He said his future plans include activity in the Citizen's League, a political group in the city.

Source: Warren Times Gazzete


The good news about this is that Izidore will also be elected as the first Cape Verdean elected Mayor of East Providence tomorrow right after he gets sworn in as a At-Large Councilman. That's because in East Providence, the Mayor is selected among the councilmen. And Izzy Ramos is already chosen for the nomination.

The other good news is that Ramos’s camp is planning a party for the victor. His swearing-in ceremony will be held this Wednesday at 6 p.m. in East Providence City Hall on 145 Taunton Ave. This ceremony is open to public and all Cape Verdeans especially those from Rhode Island are invited to come and share Izzy's joy and victory. So, "come on down" and celebrate this historic moment for the Cape Verdean community in The United States of America and see for yourself Isidore Ramos becoming the first Cape Verdean Mayor in America.

Please, click on Post Reply and leave your thoughts here about this unique moment in the history of Cape Verdeans in USA and your message to Mr. Ramos.

Larisa concedes to Ramos, a month after vote
12:02 PM EST on Thursday, December 7, 2006

BY ALISHA PINA
Journal staff writer

PROVIDENCE — Exactly one month after East Providence’s voters made their choice, Mayor Joseph Larisa Jr. today acknowledged he lost the City Council at-large race and conceded.

He shook hands with Isadore Ramos, a former assistant schools superintendent, in the state Board of Elections headquarters shortly before noon. Larisa also wished him well with the two-year term, which already began for the four other council members.

“I don’t know if you’re [Muhammad] Ali or [Joe] Frazier, but you won this one,” Larisa said referring to the heavyweight boxing rivalry several city residents said this race reminded them of. “… I’ll help you in anyway I can.”

Said Ramos, “I look forward to your help.”

The two have squared off three times in the last six years. Ramos took the first round, and Larisa won the second. Neither bout was as close as this election.

Ramos led the contest by 12 votes after the polls closed Nov. 7. He was ahead by 22 after absentee ballots were factored in to the totals the next day. And Larisa chipped away at that lead, gaining 6, during last week’s recount of more than 16,400 ballots made at the city’s polling places. The official difference is 16.

The recount is usually the last step in the election process, but Larisa and a Cranston mayoral candidate, who dropped out of the lawsuit and conceded last week, asked the courts to intervene when the state Board of Elections wouldn’t let them inspect ballots they questioned.

Those concerning them included ballots not counted in their race totals and those rejected by voting machines during the recounts. The two also asked to inspect absentees not reexamined in the recount procedure.

“I’ve said all along that I want to make sure everyone who voted has their ballot count,” said Larisa, who also said he continued his challenge to “prove a point” and “let democracy win.”

Top election officials refused the inspection, saying the handling of ballots would compromise the objectivity of the state’s election process – which is essentially completed by Optech voting machines – and possibly introduce human error. They also said candidates shouldn’t be allowed to change the rules in the middle of an election.

“We publicly test all the machines,” said Robert Kando, executive director of the state Board of Elections. “Not one person questioning them [this week] attended the public testing. Not one person questioned the provisional rule until somebody found out they were behind. It would seem to me that the time to question is before the election.”

Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Fortunato Jr. sided with Larisa. House District 72 candidate John Robitaille joined Larisa’s suit hours before the state Supreme Court upheld Fortunato’s ruling Friday.

Robitaille was still holding out hope today even after a review of absentee ballots left him trailing incumbent Amy G. Rice by nine votes. Her seat covers parts of Middletown, Portsmouth and Newport.

Robitaille said he planned to talk strategy with his lawyers and said he has until Monday to decide.

Larisa and others Monday looked at several ballots, including those not counted in their official totals. They looked at absentee ballots today. There were more than 700 cast in East Providence and about 350 pertaining to the House seat.

Based on totals gathered in the two-day review, neither Robitaille nor Larisa would gain enough votes to change the outcome of their races. And there aren’t any other ballots left to be reexamined.

“I thank Dr. Ramos, his lawyer and all for their patience,” Larisa said. “I’m still concerned about the difference [between the official totals and those gathered at the recounts and inspections. The notion that the machines are infallible is certainly false.”

He plans to recommend to the state board of Elections at least three changes: allow candidates to inspect photocopies of questionable ballots, change the board’s provisional rule and include absentee ballots in the recount process.

Yet first, he plans to get some Christmas shopping done.

Meanwhile, Ramos’s camp is planning an inauguration ceremony and party for the victor. He wasn’t allowed to participate in the city’s ceremony last week because a winner wasn’t certified and Larisa didn’t concede.

“I appreciate going through the process,” Ramos said. “Now, I’m ready to get to the city’s business.”


email:apina@projo.com / Phone: (401) 277-7465

From Providence Journal

By the way, Senhor Ramos, if you happen to read this, allow me to make a suggestion: nominate a new police chief. You see, as I'm sure you are well aware of, the East Providence Police Department is notoriously known to be racist. A Cape Verdean or African American or Hispanic East Providence Police Chief would help better the image of your city. As the Mayor, It's your prerogative who you name as the Chief of Police.

Mr. Ramos is well aware of this topic at forcv and will consider all your feedback and words of wisdom. So, Rhode Islanders and East Providencians, here is a good opportunity to address your new Mayor, the great fighter and supporter of his community, Dr. Izzy Ramos.

Ramos at long last becomes the mayor

By Alisha A. Pina

Journal Staff Writer

EAST PROVIDENCE — Most people call him “Izzy.” Now it’s Mayor Izzy.

After a dragged-out election season, five standing ovations and one unanimous vote, longtime city educator and East Providence High School Hall of Famer Isadore Ramos Jr. was chosen last night to be the city’s next mayor. He defeated at-large Councilman Joseph Larisa Jr. by fewer than two dozen votes last month, but Larisa, then the mayor, asked for a recount and involved the courts. He didn’t concede until late last week, exactly one month after Election Day.

“I feel like singing a verse from the old Etta James song, ‘At Last,’ ” Ramos, 69, said. “Voters in East Providence have been very patient with the political system we have, and I am glad that tonight finally signals the start of new leadership in our city.”

The inauguration ceremony — the city’s second this month because Ramos could not be sworn in with other elected officials until he was officially declared the victor — was historic. Ramos is the first mayor of color for East Providence. The position is mainly ceremonial.

Several in the crowded City Council chambers waited 20 minutes or more in a receiving line, similar to those at weddings, to shake hands with, hug, kiss, take a picture with and congratulate the five-foot-four self-proclaimed “proud Cape Verdean.”

“This is a great day, a great day,” one woman said in tears.

Ramos’ campaign manager, Robert Rodericks, said, “I’ve been coming to city inauguration since 1976 and this is the largest crowd I’ve ever seen.”

Non-East Providence residents, longtime frequenters of the local Cape Verdean Club and former students of Ramos said they wouldn’t have missed this day. Supporters continued their party at the Madeira restaurant, on Warren Avenue.

“I just got out of work and didn’t have time to change,” Mat Santos, of Fox Point, said. He was still in his Rhode Island National Guard fatigues. “I’ve known Izzy all my life. He’s been a family friend and role model for years.”

Ramos was one of the smallest guys on the block when he grew up on Roma Street with his family. He wasn’t picked for the basketball team at the old Central Junior High School, but joined the football and wrestling teams in high school without his mother’s approval.

In the 115-pound class, Ramos won 52 straight matches and was the state and New England champion in 1955-56. He was also an All-State baseball player, a second baseman.

After degrees from Southern Illinois University and the University of Connecticut, Ramos received a teaching job with the school district that gave him his foundation. He remained a teacher and assistant superintendent for more than 30 years and was passed over three times for the top school position of superintendent.

He was elected to the School Committee and then the City Council in 2002, beating Larisa by 652 votes.

“I just think the people wanted a change,” Ramos said then. “They wanted an independent thinker, and felt I was someone they could support.”

Last night he said, “Now that the elections and campaigns are over, we are all in one family — the family of East Providence. All families have difficulties, but we must remain together and not be hurtful. We must have healthy discussion on which solutions can best serve all residents.”

The only time he got choked up was when he talked about his mother, Laura, 97, who was at home. Wiping tears away, he said he was elated that his mother “lived long enough to see me achieve the title of mayor.”

In other news:

First-time Councilman Bruce DiTraglia was unanimously chosen assistant mayor, and Virginia Nunes, a former district sales manager for Avon, was chosen to be the next city clerk. Nunes worked on Councilman Bryan Silva’s campaign and is a neighbor of Silva’s mother-in-law.