Jackie Murphy and Tammy Gilpatrick accept a donation on behalf of the Blackstone River Coalition from Corridor Commission Staff, Commissioner Donna Williams and members of the Greenway Challenge Steering Committee.

Greenway Challenge Organizers Present $2,500 to Blackstone River Coalition
Members of the Blackstone River Valley Greenway Challenge Steering Committee presented the Blackstone River Coalition (BRC) with a check for $2,500 at the BRC’s board meeting on Thursday, January 4, 2007. Barbara Dixon, Greenway Challenge event coordinator, presented Jackie Murphy, coordinator of the Blackstone River Coalition, with the check designated for the Coalition and their ongoing efforts to make the Blackstone River and its watershed fishable and swimmable by 2015. 

The Greenway Challenge has become the Blackstone Valley’s signature adventure race with a different course featuring the natural resources and heritage landscapes of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. The Challenge is held on the last Saturday of September and allows contestants to run, cycle and paddle through the scenic valley known as the Birthplace of America’s Industrial Revolution.

“The Greenway Challenge Steering Committee is pleased to make this contribution to a local non-profit organization that works to further the Greenway Challenge’s mission to promote the recreational quality of life in the Blackstone River Valley. Without the work of organizations like the Blackstone River Coalition, we would not be able to see the incredible progress that has been made in the six years that we’ve conducted the race,” Barbara said. “The river has gotten cleaner. The Blackstone River Bikeway is making progress. Our parks are accommodating more and more visitors and people who live here in the valley are out enjoying the variety of outdoor recreational opportunities that can be found in their own back yards,” she added.

“We are thrilled to receive this generous donation,” Jackie Murphy, coordinator for the BRC, said. “The Blackstone River flows through two states and affects 29 communities in its watershed. This will go far to help the Coalition work with communities in the Blackstone River watershed to better manage stormwater and to advance efforts to make the Blackstone ‘Clean by 2015.’ On behalf of the BRC, a huge thanks to everyone who participated in the Greenway Challenge.” The Blackstone River Coalition is a partnership of numerous organizations and individuals working to restore and protect water quality and wildlife habitat in the Blackstone River Corridor and to advocate for sound land use in the Blackstone River Watershed. For more information on the Blackstone River Coalition, visit www.zaptheblackstone.org.

To learn more about the Greenway Challenge, go to www.greenwaychallenge.org.

Top                                              Page One

Museum of Work and Culture Kicks off 10th Anniversary Celebration with
Ranger Days lecture series
The Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket, RI is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year. The Museum, which opened its doors on Columbus Day weekend in 1997 during Autumnfest, is kicking off its Anniversary Celebration with the 2007 Ranger Days talks, sponsored by the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. A highlight of the series this year will be on Sunday, February 18 when key founders of the Museum will gather to discuss the creation of the Museum, how it has evolved over the past decade and some of the plans for its future.

“A lot of work went into the creation of the Museum,” said co-site Manager Ray Bacon. “The community started to discuss this project during the city’s centennial celebration in 1988 and it took a decade for it to come together. For example, many people may not remember that the original plans called for putting the Museum in the adjacent stone Falls Yarn Mill. The museum staff is proud of our accomplishments here for the past ten years, and is excited to announce new plans to update and improve the exhibits.”

The Heritage Corridor Commission played a key role in the creation of the Museum of Work and Culture and provided funding for exhibits and the creation of visitor services. “The Museum has been one of our greatest partners,” said National Park Service Ranger Kevin Klyberg. “This lecture series, now also entering its tenth season, is just one example of cooperation on sharing the stories of the Blackstone River Valley with the public.”

Other talks will include:
March 4: Margaret Carroll:
    "A Woman of 1769: A Colonial Town at the Time of the American Revolution"
March 18: Chet Wachowicz will discuss the construction of the National World War II Memorial.
April 1: Chris Tremblay will talk about his book, The Comeback Kid.

All of the Ranger Days programs are free and open to the public. They begin at 1:30 PM in the 1934 ITU Hall in the Museum of Work and Culture 42 South Main Street, Woonsocket, RI. The museum is handicapped accessible. For more information call the Museum at 401.769.9675.

Top                                              Page One

Asa Waters Mansion - Millbury, Massachusetts

Great Tours Workshop
The Heritage Corridor continues it’s efforts in offering educational opportunities for heritage sites and volunteers with Great Tours!, a popular one-day workshop presented by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The workshop is focused on creating thematic tours at historic sites, and is being offered on Thursday, May 10, 2007. This excellent workshop will be held from 9 am to 5 pm at the Asa Waters Mansion in Millbury, Massachusetts.

Great Tours! is sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission and the American Association for State and Local History and funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The workshop is designed to include large and small group interactive exercises that are based on a case study of an historic site. This provides participants with hands-on practical experience that can be used at sites throughout the Valley. Registration is $55 per person ($5 discount for persons who register by April 1 or members of the Blackstone Valley Interpreters Network and National Trust Forum) and includes the 159-page bestselling book, Great Tours! Thematic Tours and Guide Training for Historic Sites, all materials, lunch, and refreshments. Attendance is limited.

To register, call Barbara Dixon at the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission at (401) 762-0250 or for more information and a registration form, click here.

Top                                              Page One