Executive Director's Message
As we transition from winter to spring it is time to open up the doors and windows and begin enjoying the beautiful spring weather that Mother Nature provides in the Blackstone Valley. A sure sign of the new season are the plans and preparations for the upcoming canoe and kayak races on the Blackstone and the programs and extended hours of our visitor sites. Are you interested in volunteering at a special event or cultural site? Are you interested in interpretive or hospitality training to prepare you to volunteer or sharpen your skills before the visitor season? Perhaps you want to simply enjoy the outdoors? Why don’t you pick up one of our free award winning Blackstone River Tour Maps at a visitor center near you and enjoy a day on the river. (or download one here) For those less adventurous, why not visit River Bend Farm and learn about the new Maple Sugaring House and enjoy the park.

And by the way, as you are making your summer vacation plans, why not consider visiting one of your National Parks? We are now offering a whole complement of annual National Park Passes for sale right here in the Blackstone Valley, at Roger Williams National Memorial. Scroll through our newsletter and learn how to get involved, see what’s happening and get out there and enjoy your Valley!

Mark your calendars for a reauthorization party on Thursday April 12, 5:30 PM at Castellana’s Carriage Hall (90 Harding Street) in the Canal District in Worcester as we celebrate with Special Guests Representatives James McGovern and Richard Neal. Enjoy great company, fabulous Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. See you there!

Tom Ross

Chafee Heritage Award Recipients Lauded
“We are here to celebrate the Commission’s successful reauthorization for five more years, to wish our former Acting Executive Director, Larry Gall, the best in his retirement and to urge you to continue to be a friend, advocate and participant in this great and growing project called the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor as it continues to create new paths to lead the way for Heritage Corridors across this country,” Commission Chair Louise Redding said before over 300 guests who gathered to celebrate the successes of the National Heritage Corridor at its Annual Dinner March 8th.

Four Blackstone Valley residents were named recipients of the Chafee Heritage Award established by the Corridor Commission to honor the late Senator John H. Chafee’s legacy. They were Massachusetts volunteers Jim and Maggie Plasse of Blackstone for the countless hours they have spent guiding the recent renaissance of the 30 year old Blackstone River Watershed Association (BRWA). The City of Pawtucket’s Mayor James Doyle was recognized for his ardent advocacy of the National Heritage Corridor since he was first elected Mayor of Pawtucket in 1998 and for his creativity, dedication and innovation in transforming Pawtucket into a New England cultural and heritage destination.

The student award was given to Matthew Chamberlin of the Blackstone Millville Regional High School. As a member of the Blackstone Valley Youth Leadership Academy (BVYLA) he fit the criteria of an “emerging young leader” and worked hard to promote the Corridor’s reauthorization efforts, requested petition signatures, e-mailed registrations and letters to the Governor, and requested a formal resolution to be signed by the Selectmen of the Town of Blackstone supporting reauthorization.

The Commission also recognized Scott Rossiter of Grafton, Massachusetts, this year with the Gerald Gaudette Community Stewardship & Business Award for promoting a vision of regionalism, preservation and community development in the Blackstone Valley.

Retired Acting Executive Director Larry Gall was recognized for his service to the Blackstone Valley and outgoing Commission Chair Louise Redding received an official National Park Service Stetson to celebrate the more than twenty years she has contributed to the National Heritage Corridor.

Educators Network website launched
The Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation, with the support of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission, launched an enhanced interactive web site this week. The site found at www.blackstoneeducators.net contains An Educator’s Guide to the Blackstone Valley incorporating comprehensive information from 40 partner sites that offer curriculum-based programs to tell the story of America’s Industrial Revolution. An interactive map and a search engine facilitate information gathering and planning for New England educators.

“We designed this web site to be a highly functional tool for educators who recognize the unique opportunities that teaching in the Blackstone River Valley can bring to their classrooms. It is basically “one stop shopping” for teachers who want to share the Valley’s story, who want to demonstrate environmental impacts and success stories, and who want to tap the Blackstone Valley’s rich cultural heritage for their students’ benefit,” Mary Lou Anderson, Project Manger, explained.

According to Ranger Kevin Klyberg at the Heritage Corridor, the web site focuses on those destinations that offer curriculum based programs that tie into the state frameworks for Rhode Island and Massachusetts. “This site makes it easy for teachers to access the resources that the Blackstone River Valley offers – from Worcester to Providence – that can enhance and enrich the educational experience through either field trips or classroom visits,” he added.

The John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor contains over 10,000 identified heritage sites within its 400,000 acres. Not every site or community has the resources to offer a curriculum-based program and the web site developers acknowledge that there is plentiful opportunity for educators to supplement the programs they find through the web site with visits to historic buildings, museums and sites interspersed throughout the National Heritage Corridor.

“Getting students out to see, feel and understand how and where our history actually happened is an integral part of the future of the Corridor,” Acting Director Thomas E. Ross said. “We expect this web site to increase those opportunities and for more students to be on their way to developing a better sense of why the Blackstone River Valley has a unique story that we are fortunate to be able to share with others.”

Footsteps in History Seeks Partners
As the Footsteps in History Program kicks off its third year, it is looking to expand its heritage programming to include 24 events (twice monthly) throughout the Blackstone Valley in addition to the anchor open house program hosted on the three-day Columbus Day Weekend. Project coordinator Lorriane Provencher is soliciting proposals for the key events throughout the year as well as for individual open houses and programs. If you have a program or an event that you wish to have included in the Footsteps in History program, please contact Lorraine Provencher at 401.724.2200 or bvfootsteps@aol.com for details or visit their website for more information.

The Footsteps in History Program was created in partnership by the National Heritage Corridor, Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee, Rhode Island Historic Preservation & Heritage Commission, Massachusetts Historical Commission and numerous site partners throughout the corridor to develop and market heritage sites and programming in promoting the Blackstone River Valley as a top visitor destination.