Footprints in HistoryStillwater MillHarrisville, Rhode Island

Blackstone Valley Distinction in Business Central Falls ProvisionCentral Falls, Rhode IslandAthena's Home NoveltyWoonsocket, Rhode Island

Blackstone Valley Excellence in Arts and Business Herb Weiss, Economic and Cultural Affairs Officer Pawtucket, Rhode Island

ARISTA Prize - Rhode Island Blackstone River TheatreCumberland, Rhode Island

ARISTA Prize - New England William Catania, PresidentCatania Hospitality GroupHyannis, Massachusetts

ARISTA Prize - National Alex and Ani, LLCCranston, Rhode Island

William Blackstone Society Inductions Michael A. Hebert, Historical Preservationist/ArcheologistRhode Island Department of TransportationProvidence, Rhode IslandDaryl Sherman, Singer/PianistNew York, New York

Special Thanks to our Host and Sponsors

Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, Inc.Blackstone Valley Visitor Center175 Main Street, Pawtucket, RI 02860401-724-2200tourblackstone.com

Recognitions

Photo courtesy of Tina Haddad

Blackstone Valley Tourism Council StaffRobert D. Billington, Ed. D., PresidentNatalie Carter, Director of OperationsDonna Houle, Manager of Special ProjectsAmanda Wood, Office ManagerOlon Reeder, Public and Intergovernmental RelationsLesley McLaughlin, Southern New England Discovery ToursJames Toomey, Sustainable Tourism Lab Co-ordinatorRyan Basset, Social Media Coordinator, Visitor Center StaffGeraldine Barclay-King, Special ProgramsH. Russell Taub, Relationship ManagerQingya Wang, Project AssociateGianna Rizzotti, Project AssociateChristina Guadagno, Project AssociateWendy Jencks, Blackstone Valley Visitor Center ManagerTim Viveiros, Visitor Center StaffBob Gilson, Blackstone River State Park Volunteer Staff Co-ordinatorVictor Comacho, RISCFEPAmos Douglas, RISCFEP

The Council hosted Anush Hovakimyan, executive director of theGoris Tourism Office/Development Center, Humphrey FellowshipProgram, Institute of International Education.

Board of Directors

David Balfour,Chairman

Barry Mechanic,Vice-Chairman

Sue Tessier MacKenzie,Secretary

Jacqueline Boudreau,Treasurer

Helen Fairbrother Moroney

Louis Yip

Dave Richards

Paul Eno

Anthony Capuano

Bob Conway

John Lefrancoise

Mark Brodeur

Judy Fishback

Keith Fayan

Carl Friedman

Deb Fournier

Moe Rondeau *

Mary Lynn Boziak

Rich Murphy - Emeritus

* deceased

David Balfour

As chairman of your board of directors, I am pleased to welcome you to the 28thAnnual Meeting of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. I want to extend mythanks to our members and especially to our dedicated volunteers without whosehelp we could not have met our objectives. Our budget has continued to grow, inspite of national and state economic restrictions.

In the past year, our growth has continued, and we have been the subject of bothnational and regional commendations, some of which we have mentioned intonight's program.

This year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the launching of the Blackstone Val-ley Explorer, which continues to carry passengers as they learn about the historyand varied uses of the Blackstone River.

We appreciate the work of our friends at the Blackstone Valley National HeritageCorridor, and we continue to hope the Congress of the United States will authorizethe creation of a national park along the river.

As we keep meeting our challenges, we thank you for your ongoing support.

With deep appreciation, David W. Balfour, Chairman

Welcome

Blackstone Valley Explorer CrewCaptain Bob Dombrowski Captain Kenneth HudsonCaptain Howard LabittCaptain Sheila PaquetteCaptain Matthew Pendergast Captain Joe WalkdenCashier Dennis LloydTour Guide Gerald CarboneTour Guide Dianne MaillouxTour Guide Patti McAlpineTour Guide Steve TodaroVolunteer David Westcott

Blackstone River State ParkVisitor Center Volunteers

Jerry AissisJoe BillingtonBeverly DaignaultGerry NoelSteve MenatianClaudette MooreMinn RobidouxRuth PachecoJim Wilbur

Roxanne ArrudaPat BannonEric SjoblomBernie PlanteTom PerkinsJim TracyJoan ValaitisAndrew Whalen

Over the past four decades, Rhode Islanders have witnesseda remarkable transformation of the waterway. Back in the1970s, the riverbanks still bore ugly scars inflicted in themill era from trash heaps to tire piles to brown field sites.Today, regular cleanup efforts by volunteers, non-profitsand government agencies have all but erased that damage,making the river near-pristine once more. Paddle the water-way and you’ll see deer on the shore, hawks in the sky andblue herons wading in the shallows.

A VERY HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

The BVTC highlights the restoration of the river by bringingfolks as close to the water as possible. This year's mile-stones included the 20th anniversary of the first tour aboardthe Blackstone River Explorer, the Council's own 49-passen-ger watercraft. From Central Falls Landing, people canclimb aboard and cruise the waterway any Sunday fromMay to October. While drifting on the river, passengers for-get that in some spots urban centers are just beyond thetrees. To date, more than 300,000 visitors have experiencedthe river tour.

"I've always called it 'the Convincer,'" says Dr. RobertBillington, executive director of the BVTC. “We've takeneverybody on that boat -- our mayors and town administra-tors, all the members of the congressional delegation, every-one. It convinces them the river has something to offer."

In August, there was an afternoon reception at the Landingand aboard the watercraft. The boat was rededicated with aprayer by the Rev. Julio Filomeno of the Pawtucket UnitedChurch of Christ and an invocation by the Rev. NelsonEstrada of Pawtucket's Chinese Church, which sits besidethe river. The Rev. William Blackstone, the pioneer forwhom the river is named, was portrayed by National ParkService Ranger John McNiff. The ship's bell was rung 20times, marking each year of service.

NATIONAL DESIGNATION SOUGHT

In May, the river lured an important delegation to the re-gion. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and NationalPark Service Director Jonathan Jarvis were among Washing-ton VIPs that came for a close look at some landmarks thatwould be part of the proposed Blackstone Valley NationalHistorical Park in Northern Rhode Island and Massachu-setts' Worcester County.

The proposed park would tell the story of America’s Indus-trial Revolution in the place where it began two centuriesago. U.S. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) has filed national legislation tocreate the historic district, which would include Pawtucket’sOld Slater Mill; Cumberland’s Ashton Mill Village; theBlackstone River State Park, which winds through Woon-socket, Cumberland, Lincoln and North Smithfield; and theMassachusetts’ villages of Whitinsville and Hopedale.

DESTINATIONS ADDED TO TOURS

Spring is the season for exploration, and BVTC’s DiscoveryTours are the perfect vehicle for doing that. The motorcoach day trips are held in May during National Travel andTourism Week. In past years, the destinations were all inNorthern Rhode Island. This year, however, the Counciladded a twist on the region's “So New” promotion, a mar-keting initiative to promote southern New England states asa single tourism destination. Some buses headed over theborder to Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium, to Worcester’sHiggins Armory Museum, to Longfellow's Wayside Inn inthe Boston suburb of Sudbury and elsewhere. Tourism plan-ners in the adjacent states reciprocated, sending visitors tothe Ocean State. Sightseers also enjoyed a bicycle tour onthe Blackstone River Bikeway and a kayak tour on the river.

This summer the BVTC expanded its Leisurely Bike Tours,four-hour guided weekend bicycle trips through NorthernRhode Island. The schedule now includes a Villages of Bur-rillville tour that offers a wonderful perspective of the town'shistory and nature through the rolling hills of Harrisvilleand Pascoag. The popular tours -- which run from Maythrough October -- also include popular trips through Lin-coln that begin or end at the historic Capt. Wilbur KellyHouse and extend to the Gateway Visitor Center on Route295.

SPRINGING INTO CELEBRATIONS

A highpoint of spring was the second annual induction cere-mony at the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame. The BVTChelped establish the museum-in-progress housed in Paw-tucket’s Hope Artiste Village. It is dedicated to those eupho-nious past and present legends that have put New Englandin the national spotlight, and it’s a great fit with the So Newpromotion.

The annual induction bash, a much-anticipated event and

ghe Blackstone Valley Tourism Council has long madethe Blackstone River a centerpiece for promoting the region,

and with good reason.By John Larrabee

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Year in Review

major fundraiser, is full of music and memories. Among the2013 inductees were: the original family rock band TheCowsills; rhythm and blues favorites Steve Smith & TheNakeds; and folk blues guitarist Paul Geremia. Posthumousrecipients were soprano Sissieretta Jones, who broke racebarriers in the 1800s; and vaudeville's Yankee DoodleDandy George M. Cohan, who was born in Providence.

Another spring celebration is the Person of the Yearfundraiser in Glocester, which generates funds for the reno-vation of the Colonial-era Dr. Reuben Mason House and aplanned Dorr Rebellion Museum. This year's honoree wasformer town Police Chief Jamie Hainsworth, who is theUnited States marshal for Rhode Island.

COMPLIMENTS TO THE CHEFS

In most hip regions, a food tour means a night spent sam-pling appetizers at one bistro and then another. But a nibblehere and there could never work in Rhode Island. It’s NewEngland’s smorgasbord, with restaurants of every kind serv-ing up some of the world’s best fare. That’s why the BVTC'sfood tour is different from others -- it never ends.

Every Wednesday night participants gather at a differentrestaurant, where the chef offers a special meal and a cook-ing demonstration. Over the past four years, regulars on theSecret Ingredient Tour have sampled everything from drive-in hamburgers at A&W Root Beer in North Smithfield intofamily-style chicken to specialties such as sushi rolls andshrimp diavolo.

A new stop was Central Falls Provision, a 90-year-old fam-ily-owned business that makes Polish kielbasa and home-style sausage. The Skoczylas family set up a tent and a grilloutside its facility and turned the event into a backyardcookout.

RHODE ISLAND BLOSSOMS

The BVTC’s efforts aren’t limited to planned events. A sur-prise came when Sen. Reed learned Rhode Islanders had nostate society in Washington, D.C. Transplants from everyother state have long had such social clubs in the nation’scapital, and the organizations can play a big part in gettingthings done. They give newcomers and visitors a place toswap news and meet movers and shakers at the nationallevel. What’s more, the collective state societies have amajor role in the National Cherry Blossom Festival, an an-nual celebration in the capital commemorating Japan's giftof 3,000 cherry trees in 1912. The groups sponsor a ball,and each state brings a cherry blossom princess to Washing-ton for the festivities.

Under Billington’s direction, the BVTC staff moved fast, es-tablishing a State Society of Rhode Island; organizing aboard of directors before the national event in March and is-suing a call for cherry blossom princess applicants.

The selection process focused on finding a Rhode Islanderwho could pitch the state with enthusiasm and verve. Thehonor went to Stacie Waleyko, 23, a University of Rhode Is-land alum with an impressive resume as a fashion modeland a software engineer for the 3D Group for Interactive Vi-sualization in East Greenwich. At a Statehouse ceremony onMarch 20 -- the first day of spring -- Gov. Lincoln Chafeepresented her with the sash. Then it was on to the Potomac.An unabashed back-home booster, Waleyko packed her

suitcase with clothes, accessories and shoes that showcasedLittle Rhody designers.

U.S. Rep. David Cicilline escorted Waleyko to the ball at theRenaissance Washington D.C. Hotel, where the Japaneseambassador gave a spin to an oversized wheel of fortune,awarding the crown by chance to a young lady from Okla-homa.

LIGHTING THE WAY

While Waleyko missed out on the winner's goodwill tour ofJapan, she was able to don the sash again for Rhode Island'sown Cherry Blossom Festival, a May weekend event held inPawtucket and Central Falls. The BVTC helped organize thefirst celebration in 2010 to mark the planting of 65 cherry

trees along Roosevelt Avenue. The Council continues to be apartner in planning the festivities. More than 200 cherrytrees are growing along the route, creating a vibrant urbanpromenade, and the festival draws attention to the newstreetscape. It also raises money to pay for future plantings,and the continued maintenance of the sidewalk arboretum.

This year’s festival included some extra sparkle to celebrateCentral Falls pulling itself out of municipal bankruptcy, clos-ing the curtain on a 15-month financial crisis. On May 4, acrowd gathered near the venerable stone bridge that linksthe city to Pawtucket. Twilight faded, and then 110 LEDlights flashed on, tracing the bridge archways and creating atwinkling reflection on the water.

The two city governments were the bridge illumination’s pri-mary sponsors while the BVTC raised private donations.Planners were mindful of costs and conservation. The Nar-ragansett Bay Commission provides a link to the electricalgrid and the bulbs are super efficient, keeping the electricbill to $11 a month. The lights shine on Friday and Saturdaynights and holidays, reminding all that Central Falls is now"a city with a bright future."

UNIQUE SITE IN CENTRAL FALLS

If you get the urge for a deep Thoreauvian experience, youcan find it on the shores of the Blackstone River. River Is-land Community Park in Central Falls is now the site of thestate’s first urban campground, one of just six in the nation.Cross a foot bridge and you’ll find yourself on a four-acre is-land, surrounded by chirping birds, shade-casting oaks andthe sun-dappled river. There’s a brick fire ring, picnic tablesand enough space for several tents. Boy Scout Troop 3 spenthours clearing brush from the site, working under the direc-

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tion of BVTC staffer James Toomey and Eagle Scoutprospect Sebastian Zuleta.

The Scouts were also the first campers. Their June 14 expe-dition was a real outdoor jamboree, with sack and three-legged races on the park’s mainland playing field. CentralFalls Mayor James Diossa was on hand for the hot dog roastand campfire sing-along. The boys later drifted to sleep be-neath the trees -- a real night in the wilderness just 15 min-utes from the State House. The campground is nowavailable to other organized groups with a permit from CityHall.

A TALE OF DEVOTION

Woonsocket's beautifully-restored Victorian-era train depothas been a draw for tourists from Japan since 2009, when itwas used as the setting for the film “Hachi: A Dog's Tale,”starring Richard Gere. The movie is an American retelling ofa much-beloved Japanese tale; the true story of a dog thatgreets his master daily on his return from work and contin-ues to do so years after the man's death. The Japanese havecome to view the dog -- an Akito named Hachiko -- as a na-tional symbol of loyalty and devotion. There's a bronzestatue of Hachiko at Tokyo's Shibuya Station, where the dogstood watch, and there's also a statute at the Woonsocketstation, a gift to the city from the local Beacon CharterSchool for the Performing Arts.

In August, the BVTC and the state were invited to help ob-serve Tokyo's Hachi Summit, an event focused on the virtueof loyalty. Billington sent a greeting letter and arranged forGov. Chafee and Woonsocket Mayor Leo Fontaine to do thesame. The Council also sent a Hachi banner and brochuresdescribing the Woonsocket monument, which sometimesdraws Japanese visitors.

“HOW SWEET IT IS”

Last year the Council helped Central Falls create the Choco-late Mill Overlook, a beautifully-landscaped space near thesite of one of North America's earliest water-powered choco-late mills. Founded roughly a decade before Slater Mill, thelong-gone William Wheat Chocolate Mill provided productsto nearby citizens and military personnel and mariners asmedicinal sustenance.

In August, Billington traveled to the Virginia headquartersof confectioner Mars Inc., to discuss the possibility of creat-ing a chocolate history museum in Central Falls and havingMars help finance the proposed project. He was joined bylocal businessmen Louis Yip and Sonny Ng, owners of thesite. "We had a great meeting," Billington says. "Now we'reenhancing the proposal.”

BEAT THE DRUMS FOR PROGRESS

In Pawtucket, the end of summer means Taiwan Day, a fes-tival the BVTC has sponsored since 2000. The highlight ofthe early September event is the dragon boat races on theBlackstone River, modeled after a popular Asian sport. Theornate human-powered skiffs the Council provides to com-petitors were donated by the ever-civic-minded Yip and theRepublic of China government. Each boat is crewed by ahelmsman, 20 paddlers and a drummer whose insistentthumping sets the pace. While thousands of spectatorscheer from shore, the rival teams vie to set the best time onthe 1,000-foot three-lane course.

The big finish to the festival was the lighting of the new six-lane bridge that routes I-95 across the Pawtucket River. Thefive-year, $100-million bridge reconstruction project came toa close this year, and not a moment too soon. Detours hadbecome a real headache, with truckers driving through resi-dential neighborhoods in search of alternate routes. In theend, the state has a safe and attractive bridge. The span fea-tures art-deco-style details and a graceful steel arch that isilluminated at night with crystal-blue LED lighting.

"The new I-95 bridge has … a lot of pizzazz," says Billing-ton. "We made sure they got artists involved. What we’vegot now is something distinctive. It reminds people thatPawtucket is an arts city and that even the city founderJoseph Jencks was known as an artist."

Something else new is an effort to help Burrillville launch alow-cost marketing campaign to boost visitation. The Coun-cil helped develop a plan that highlights the outdoor recre-ation, history and rural charm of the town. Working withBurrillville Town Planner Tom Kravitz and Town ManagerMichael Wood, the Council developed a Web site, VisitBur-rillville.org, and created an integrated campaign with rackcards, postcards and a Facebook page that direct peopleback to the site, which contains self-guided tours developedby the BVTC.

CENTERS OF ATTENTION The BVTC has taken steps to keep visitor facilities in North-ern Rhode Island in full operation. Last year the VisitorCenter in downtown Pawtucket closed for about fourmonths due to a lack of funding. With 100,000 visitorswalking through the door every year, that was a real loss.The BVTC came forward with a plan to keep the center openyear-round and its budget in the black. The Council has re-branded the facility The Center by the Blackstone andlaunched a campaign to market the space as an eventvenue. The goal is to raise $10,000 in rental fees.The council received a $40,000 grant from the Rhode IslandFoundation's Initiative for Non-Profit Excellence, which will

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Photo courtesy of Ernest Brown, The Times/The Call

William BlackstoneSociety Members

Leonard J. Panaggio ...........1989Patrick M. Malone, Ph.D. ..1990Luther H. Blount ................1991David Gulvin......................1992Albert T. Klyberg.................1993David Macaulay .................1994Robert D. Billington, Ph.D. 1994Louise Lind.........................1995Clinton Johnson..................1995Thomas J. Shanahan ..........1996Robert E. Metivier ..............1997Carol A. Metivier ................1997Bernard G. Mondor ............1997John Chan ..........................1998Michael D. Cassidy ............1999

David W. Balfour................2000Dana M. Newbrook............2001Elizabeth "Betty" Johnson ...2002Wilfrid L. Gates, Jr..............2003Rose Lavoie ........................2004Tom Ward...........................2005John Worsley......................2006Joseph O'Donnell, Jr. ..........2006Peter Conway .....................2007Robert Conway...................2007Helen L. Moroney .............2008Donna Houle......................2009Gary Furtado......................2009Rick Greenwood.................2010Gene Peloquin....................2011Kathy Hartley .....................2011Sunny Ng ...........................2012Louis Yip ............................2012

help the Council operate as it approaches its 30th anniver-sary in 2015.

Across the Valley in Lincoln, the BVTC has signed a contractwith the state Department of Environmental Management(DEM) to manage the Gateway Visitor Center on Route 295and find a food vendor for the location. The visitor center isnear the Blackstone River Bikeway and provides patronswith a convenient location to park their vehicles and unloadtheir bikes. The highway stop features an attractive colonialpost-and-beam building and a state police satellite office.

The Council is working with Cumberland Town PlannerChris Carcifero to revitalize Valley Falls Heritage Park. Theunusual facility is located in the foundation of the razedValley Falls Mill. "We've taken hundreds of schoolchildrento the park," says Billington, "and now the town is taking anew interest in property. They're putting more money into it,and bringing electricity to the site." In addition, the Counciland town worked to secure funding from the DEM and theNational Park Service to restore the interpretive signs at thehistoric site.

DOCUMENTARY SCREENING ON TAP If you're a history buff, be sure to mark November 7 on yourcalendar. That’s when the Public Broadcasting Service docu-mentary “The Ghost Army” will be shown at the StadiumTheatre in Woonsocket. The film tells the story of a WorldWar II unit of camouflage specialists that used inflatabletanks and trucks and other elements of subterfuge to mis-lead German forces about the position and direction of Al-

lied troops. The Blackstone Valley is in the story becausetank models were manufactured at a U.S. Rubber mill inWoonsocket.

At the nearby Museum of Work & Culture, movie-goers willbe able to enjoy a traveling exhibit associated with the film.Many of the Ghost Army soldiers were artists or designersin civilian life. The museum exhibit is a collection of oilpaintings, watercolors, pencil sketches and cartoons theycreated during idle moments in the war zone. On movienight, there will also be a special reception with filmmakerRick Beyer. The BVTC is the sponsor of the screening andthe exhibit.

“ALL ABOARD”

The year will end with one of the BVTC's most successfulprograms, the Polar Express excursion, a 90-minute Christ-mas show on rails inspired by Chris Van Allsburg's classicchildren's book of the same name. Families board the Provi-dence & Worcester line at the Victorian-era WoonsocketDepot and head off on a trip to nowhere. The train is filledwith singers and actors playing characters from the book.Santa and Mrs. Claus wander from coach to coach, greetingyoung passengers and handing out gifts.

The excursions begin in mid-November and always sell out.The BVTC is boosting the number of trips this year to 27,which will allow another 1,000 passengers to ride the train.To enhance the trip, the Council will give passengers en-graved Polar Express bells, a travel mug and a special color-ing book that includes scenes from the Woonsocket Depot.

Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful Board MembersMichael Debroisse • Lori Gagnon

Andrea Hall • Donna Kahler • Sarah KiteBoard Member Emeritus: Joseph Nield

Blackstone Valley Explorer20th Anniversary Committee

Dianne MaillouxEileen MendrekPatti McAlpine

Bob DombrowskiMatt PendergastDave WestcottBarbara Dixon

High SchoolInternship Program

TolmanHigh School

CollegeInternship Program

Johnson & Wales UniversityBryant University

Published by Olivia Publications, 36 French Drive, Seekonk, MA 02771 508-761-7177

Financial Report