Eli Nixon and the windsocks that will be used, with specific colors correlating to air quality in Providence’s port area. (Colleen Cronin/ecoRI News)
PROVIDENCE — Walking down Public Street on a late July night, the familiar smell of asphalt welcomed visitors. A mist fell over the shoreline access point, even though it wasn’t raining; Sims Metal next door is required to spray its scrap heap to prevent dust from entering the air.
But despite the environmental disturbances, which residents in the area experience often, something new on Public Street was inviting people in: a fleet of pinkish-red, yellow, and orange windsocks…