In the News
Blackstone Heritage Corridor Calendar Promotes Region (11-12-14)
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
A great photo is a work of art. It can inspire you, spark your imagination or help you to truly see the beauty down the dirt roads you rarely travel and in the reflections of history that you pass every day. The Blackstone Heritage Corridor Inc., a nonprofit organization in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, recently produced a calendar that might just do all three. Its new calendar, "2015 in the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor," contains scenic photos from throughout the corridor.
Peterson/Puritan Site Cleanup Raises Concerns Among Blackstone Valley Officials (10-11-14)
Providence Journal
The proposed environmental cleanup of the Peterson/Puritan Superfund site is raising concerns among local officials about the project’s potential impact on, of all things, the environment — namely the cutting down of trees and removal of vegetation along the revitalized Blackstone River.
Lavallee Helps Uxbridge Team Win Greenway Challenge Title (10-1-14)
The Valley Breeze
In the Championship Division, Team AD HOC of Uxbridge, Mass., which featured Woonsocket distance runner Roland Lavallee, won the title by finishing the course in 4:25:49. Hailing from Whitinsville, Mass., the Fairlawn Masters Team took the Masters Division with a 5:13:49 time, while the Corporate Cup Division went to BR+A Ludicrous Speed of Watertown, Mass., in a time of 4:58:57.
Winners of the Greenway Challenge Announced (9-30-14)
Rhode Island Small Business Journal
Nearly 500 individuals and 91 teams competed in glorious fall weather last Saturday, September 27, for the 14th annual Greenway Challenge. The premier bi-state, 60-mile adventure race offered seven divisions of competition. The event was presented by Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Inc. The Greenway Challenge course consisted of alternating segments of street biking, river paddling, mountain biking and running.
Vital Valley (9/29/14)
The two dozen communities of the Blackstone River Valley, stretching from Worcester and Leicester in the north to Rhode Island's Providence and Narragansett Bay in the south, capture American history and culture as few other places in the nation. The nonprofit organization charged with pulling much of that history together has a leader in the person of Charlene Perkins Cutler, who began work Sept. 2 as executive director of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Inc., headquartered in Woonsocket.
Blackstone River Valley Greenway Challenge Tests Competitors (9/27/14)
A day of continuous activity started early Saturday for the Blackstone River Valley Greenway Challenge athletes, who ran, biked or kayaked relay-style across nearly 60 miles of terrain. For some, the exhaustion of a leg completed in the adventure race would be multiplied a few times over by day's end.
Blackstone Heritage Corridor Announces Continued Partnership with the National Park Service (9/23/14)
Rhode Island Small Business Journal
The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Inc. announces a continued partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) to manage operations in the Blackstone Corridor. This partnership, along with the financial support, will enable the Blackstone Heritage Corridor to further its mission, including helping its partners do what they do best, and on coordinating people, organizations and agendas into a powerful force for taking care of our Corridor sites and communities.
New Nonprofit Director Keeps Blackstone Heritage Corridor Moving Forward (9/20/14)
A fledgling nonprofit organization, built on the shoulders of a nearly 30-year-long National Park Service partnership in the two-state region, recently hired its first permanent executive director to carry on the mission of preserving what is known as the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution.
A Welcome Site - Worcester-Blackstone Valley Visitors’ Center Back on Course (2/27/14)
The Millbury Sutton Chronicle
Legislators and several other Worcester, federal and Blackstone Valley officials, in conjunction with the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), unveiled plans last Thursday at Quinsigamond Elementary School in Worcester to construct a Worcester’s Blackstone Gateway Park and Visitor Center.
Read more: A Welcome Site
Blackstone Gateway Park and Visitor Center 'Real and Happening' (2/20/14)
Worcester Magazine
More than two decades after the idea of a Visitor Center in Worcester was first floated, and despite setbacks that included a fire that destroyed the building originally intended as its location, the vision is now a reality. It is not built, yet, but all the pieces are in place for the Blackstone Gateway Park and Visitor Center to finally come to fruition.
Read more:
Holy Cross to Support Future of Blackstone Valley Gateway Park and Visitor Center (2/20/14)
holycross.edu
At a press conference at Quinsigamond Elementary School today James P. McGovern, D-Worcester was joined by city officials, the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, and the College of the Holy Cross to announce plans for the revitalization and creation of the Worcester/Blackstone Valley Gateway Park and Visitor Center.
Read more: Blackstone Valley Visitor Center
Changes Coming to Worcester, Mass. Quinsigamond Village (2/20/14)
NECN.com
The plan that has been two decades in the making to bring change to Worcester's Quinsigamond Village is underway. “When neighbors come together and demand change or demand improvements in the neighborhood things can happen,” said Mass. Congressman James McGovern. On Thursday, state and local leaders announced construction plans for the neighborhood, including a new visitor center and Blackstone Gateway Park. Congressman McGovern says more than five point five million federal dollars will make the area a premier destination for the city.
Read more: Changes coming to Worcester, Mass.
New push for Blackstone Valley Visitor Center (2/20/14)
The resurrected Blackstone River Valley Visitor Center project now includes plans for the development of a nearby 450-acre woodland for recreational use, construction of a spur for the bicycle trail being built between the city and Providence, relocation of the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation's Central Massachusetts' offices from Clinton to the complex, and sidewalk and other infrastructure improvements aimed at enticing students from the College of the Holy Cross to visit and shop the abutting Quinsigamond Village.
Plans Resurrected for Blackstone Valley Visitors Center in Worcester (2/18/14)
There's an effort in the works to resurrect the longtime plan to build a proposed Blackstone Valley Visitors Center in or near Quinsigamond Village. Specific details will be revealed at an event scheduled Thursday afternoon by U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, who's been involved over the years in securing federal funding for the project.
Woonsocket Wins Neighborhood Planning Award (12/12/13)
Providence Journal
The award for outstanding neighborhood planning from the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Planning Association this year goes to the city of Woonsocket for its work on the Main Street Livability Plan project, a news release said. Staff from the National Park Service and the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor have been working together to help introduce and preserve the heritage landscape in the city's downtown planning efforts.
The Greenway Challenge by Tim Hudyncia (10-20-13)
Surfskiracing.com
Two and half years ago my brother and I were at a rhythm festival in Uxbridge, MA (Steve, didgeridoo, me, djembe). Nature called as it tends to, and exiting the bathroom I spotted a brochure rack on my right. One of the brochures caught my eye. “Greenway Challenge: An Adventure Race… like no other.” The race was to take place in less than 6 weeks, starting in Lincoln, RI and finishing at Wallum Lake, MA; a run to kayak to bike to run to kayak to bike to run to kayak. We hadn’t heard of a race like it, and we were smitten. “Let’s do it. Hey, wait! We need a runner.” I called up my friend in Danielson, CT. “Jack, there’s a race… “I’m in.” We had a team!
Read more: The Greenway Challenge by Tim Hudyncia
Worcester’s Canal District Banks on National Park Designation (9/3/13)
Go Local Worcester
John Giangregorio, chair of Worcester’s Canal District Business Association, may be a visionary dreamer. But the owner-operator of Three Gs Sportsbar on Millbury Street is also a practical, down-to-earth businessman. A decade ago, a group of Worcester business and political leaders, including Giangregorio, began promoting either a Providence-like opening and restoration or a reflecting-pool-like replication of the Blackstone Canal, from Union Station south to Kelley Square. These days, they are also pushing for passage of federal legislation to create a Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, which will overlay the boundaries of the existing Heritage Corridor.
Read more: Worcester's Canal District Banks On National Park Designation
National Parks Group Applauds Senate Funding Bill (8/2/13)
National Parks Conservation Association
Following the contentious debate of a damaging House bill earlier this week, yesterday the U.S. Senate introduced their version of the Interior appropriations bill, which is nearly $350 million above the House bill and reverses the damaging sequester. The Senate Department of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations bill increases the National Park Service budget by $60 million over FY12. It provides a substantial increase of $182 million over current levels to operate national parks, though $6 million below the President’s proposed budget submitted to Congress earlier this year.
Read more: National Parks Group Applauds Senate Funding Bill
Local Athletes Set Sights on Annual Blackstone River Greenway Challenge (8/3/13)
Woonsocket Call
The die-hards are checking their maps and adjusting their GPS coordinates. They’re doing the math and inspecting the lay of the land. These competitive athletes are quietly trying to figure out the secret of the biggest event of the year in outdoor cross-training races: the exact route of the Blackstone River Greenway Challenge. “For two weeks we’ll see people out there constantly,” says Barbara Dixon, event coordinator for the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, headquartered at One Depot Square. “Within a very short time, we’ll know what the finish times are going to be on the day of the race, down to a few seconds.” Founded in 2000, the Greenway Challenge has evolved into the corridor’s top promotional event of the year, designed to keep policymakers and public funders in two states focused on the recreational and economic potential of the Blackstone River.
National Park review and scrutiny? No problem! (7/31/13)
Valley Breeze
In response to the letter from David Bartlett (July 17 - "National Park idea needs more scrutiny"): we welcome scrutiny! First, we are glad that we agree that here in the Blackstone Valley we have a "wonderful natural resource and historic area" that deserves to be protected, and that "a national park comes with a lot of pluses." Second, we agree that creating a national park in a mostly developed area like the valley has to be done right so that those pluses are not cancelled out by minuses.
“Walkabouts” Provide Popular Way to Get Exercise While Learning About History (7/24/13)
National Park Service
Every summer since 1997, the Ranger Walkabouts have been a huge success in the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, and this year seven new programs have been introduced that provide residents and visitors with a unique view of the history of the Blackstone Valley. "People who join us each week really get a sense of the diversity of the region," says Ranger Chuck Arning. "The beginning of the Industrial Revolution and the transformation from farm to factory is our core theme and includes stories that involve canals, transportation, and the Underground Railroad."
Read more: “Walkabouts” Provide Popular Way to Get Exercise While Learning About History
U.S. Rep. Cicilline Advocates for Valley's Historical Park (7/24/13)
Valley Breeze
Earlier this week, I testified before a House of Representatives subcommittee to advocate for the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park Establishment Act - a bill Sen. Jack Reed has championed in the Senate and I have introduced in the House in order to establish a national park unit in the Blackstone Valley between Worcester and Providence.
Cicilline Pushes for Blackstone Valley National Park (7/24/13)
Providence Journal
Rhode Island played a key role in the American Industrial Revolution -- a development that turned the country into a manufacturing powerhouse, U.S. Rep. David N. Cicilline told members of Congress Tuesday. The state's accomplishment can be honored by establishing a new national park in the Blackstone River Valley, where the industrial revolution took off, said Cicilline, who spoke to a House committee on public lands and environmental regulation.
Blackstone River Valley to Possibly Become a National Park (7/24/13)
Television: ABC-6
Congressman David Cicilline is looking to establish a new national park here in Rhode Island. The congressman testified before the House Committee on Natural Resource's Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation, asking for them to approve a national park in the Blackstone River Valley.
Read more: Blackstone River Valley to Possibly Become a National Park
Manville Landing, Boat Launch Opens (7/24/13)
Valley Breeze
It was 20 years in the making, and topped $1.5 million before the final gravel pathways were laid this spring, but the town took ownership this week of the Manville Landing after officials checked off the last items on a construction punchlist that for a while seemed to have no end. This new public park, about two acres, sits on what was the former mill pond that was part of the system powering the Manville Jenckes Mill across the street.
Heritage Day Helpers Thanked (7/24/13)
Valley Breeze
The Slatersville Heritage Day planning committee extends its gratitude to everyone that contributed to the day's success. Many people and organizations made it a success, so on behalf of everyone who enjoyed the day, thank you to all those who made it possible. To the Sponsors: Bruce and Carol Waterson, Law Offices of Glenn Andreoni, Stearns/McGee Team Remax Properties, National Marker, Inc., Northern RI Chamber of Commerce, The UPS Store Slatersville, Wrights Dairy Farm and Bakery. To others who contributed: Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Inc. Park Ranger Peter Coffin, …
Read more: Heritage Day Helpers Thanked
National park idea needs more scrutiny. (7/17/13)
Valley Breeze
It has been suggested that a national park be created that includes the Blackstone River and certain adjacent lands. On the surface this seems like a good idea. After all, a national park comes with a lot of pluses - a boost to tourism, federal money, some infrastructure improvements to name a few. But I wonder if anyone has given serious thought to what it would actually be like to live within a national park.
Blackstone River: Birthplace of Cotton Mill Boom (7/17/13)
USA Today
With each pedal or paddle down the Blackstone River, visitors slide deeper into a living history book, passing communities that read like chapters in the story of the Industrial Revolution. The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor snakes through two dozen communities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, blending historic buildings and quaint New England landscapes. In 1790, the river was the birthplace of the country's first successful cotton mill, which now welcomes guests as the Slater Mill Museum. About six other mills still operate in the corridor.
Markings Guide Cyclists Through City Streets (7/17/13)
Woonsocket Call
Say so long to curved arrows and double-striped lines. Kiss the crosswalk goodbye. There’s a new traffic marker in town and it’s got a name so strange it’s bound to make you pay attention. Meet the “sharrow.” The images of a bicycle positioned beneath a couplet of lines bent like a boomerang …, prompting quizzical reactions from motorists who wonder what they’re supposed to mean… a sharrow is a compressed version of two phrases from the traditional lexicon on traffic symbols. One is the shared lane; the other is the arrow. The sharrow indicates that the lane in which it appears is supposed to be shared by both motorists and bicycles. Getting the sharrows painted was a joint venture of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor and NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley. The former administered the project while the latter secured most of the funding, including a $10,000 grant. RiverzEdge Arts and the city’s planning department also provided resources.
Exploring Our National Heritage: Visit the Blackstone River Valley This Summer (7/11/13)
National Parks Conservation Association
Never heard of national heritage areas? You’re not alone. To shine a light on these underexplored landscapes and cultural sites, NPCA will highlight one national heritage area every month in the Park Advocate for the coming year. To kick off this series, we head to central Massachusetts and northern Rhode Island, to a historic region that played a major role in the Industrial Revolution: The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.
Read more: Exploring Our National Heritage: Visit the Blackstone River Valley This Summer
A Hidden Gem Along the Blackstone River (7/1/13)
Examiner.com
Blackstone Valley Bike Trail is an easy ride through scenic regions especially in the fall. The 12 feet wide recreational trail is multi-use traveling through Massachusetts’s Blackstone River Valley. Once complete Blackstone Valley Bike Trail will extend 48 miles between Worcester Massachusetts and Providence Rhode Island. It provides commuters an alternate passageway through historic John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. The bikeway passes within a few miles of the cities of Woonsocket, Cumberland, Lincoln, Central Falls, Pawtucket, East Providence and Providence.
The Legislative Score Card: National Heritage Areas June 2013 (6/28/13)
Living Landscape Observer
Legislation to turn National Heritage Areas into National Park Units: Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park Establishment Act (H.R. 706 and S. 371) is a revised version of a designation bill for the area that was introduced in the last congress. It includes language “ to support and enhance the network of partners in the protection, improvement, management, and operation of related resources and facilities throughout the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.”
Read more: The Legislative Score Card: National Heritage Areas June 2013
Interior Official Kayaks on Blackstone (5/31/13)
Television: NBC-10
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell paddled up the canal along the Blackstone River on Friday. It was her introduction to a body of water contending to become a national park. It's already a historic corridor, after six years of effort by Rhode Island's federal delegation, led by U.S. Sen. Jack Reed.
Read more: Interior Official Kayaks on Blackstone
The Push to Turn Blackstone Heritage Corridor into a National Park (5/31/13)
Rhode Island Public Radio
The U.S. Secretary of the Interior was in Rhode Island Friday touring parts of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. The visit highlighted a push to make the corridor part of the National Park System. “This is one of those issues that really should be bi-partisan. There are national parks in every part of this country,” said Reed. “It is part of our legacy, created by Theodore Roosevelt, progressive Republican, so this is not a partisan issue.” (Quote from Senator Jack Reed)
Read more: The Push to Turn Blackstone Heritage Corridor into a National Park
RI, Federal Officials, Paddle Down River (5/31/13)
Woonsocket Call
Back in the 1980s the late U.S. Sen. John H. Chafee knew the best way to get people to support his namesake Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor was to get them into boats so they could see the historic area from the waters of the river. That formula was also being followed by U.S. Sen. Jack Reed on Friday when he took U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell for a kayak ride on the river while giving her a first-hand impression of its value.
Video: Interior Secretary Sally Jewell Kayaks on RI’s Blackstone (5/31/13)
Providence Journal
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell made easy work of kayaking a stretch of the historic Blackstone River Friday as three of Rhode Island's Democratic congressmen paddled close behind. But with financing and staffing cuts reported this year at national parks around the country -- one result of a federal budget standoff -- the question is whether designating a Blackstone national historic park in northern Rhode Island and Massachusetts will prove a tough row through rough rapids. U.S. Sen. Jack Reed struck a confident tone at a riverfront news conference after he and U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Rep. David N. Cicilline kayaked with Jewell and others Friday morning.
Fabric Art Exhibit to Feature All of Blackstone Valley (3/5/13)
Millbury Daily Voice
The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor is presenting a textile and fabric art exhibit previewing the “Footsteps in History Quilt” from April 6–27 at its location in The Depot in Woonsocket, R.I. The exhibit features a historic quilt that will be contributed to from all 24 towns comprising the Blackstone River Valley in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and will be represented by 10 sewing or quilters’ guilds, including the Sisterhood of Sewing from Millbury, the Giving Guild Quilters Club, the Slater Mill Historic Site and the Rhode Island Spinners Guild.
Read more: Fabric Art Exhibit to Feature All of Blackstone Valley