Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor |
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In This Edition - September 30, 2021
- BHC's Cemetery Conservation Ambassadors
- BHC's Bikeway Ambassadors and Adaptive Cycling
- Plein Air Painting in Slatersville - Saturday, October 16
- BHC Seeks Nominations for John H . Chafee Heritage Awards
- News from Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park
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Cemetery Conservation in Sutton is Going Strong and Gets a Boost from an Eagle Scout Project |
"On a recent visit to meet up with volunteers from the BHC Cemetery Conservation Ambassadors at the Sutton Historical Society, it is humbling to see volunteers making a difference no matter the size of the project or the task at hand throughout the Blackstone Valley," remarked Suzanne Buchanan, BHC's Volunteer Coordinator. "The visit was to present the well-deserved Hartzog award medals to the dedicated volunteers of Sutton's historical cemeteries led by VIP Ross Weaver. Not only do I see volunteers working together, but I see first-hand volunteers who have become close, supportive friends, even joking with each other. They spend so much time on this project that folks think they have a cot set up for naps!"
The group of 18 volunteers has made amazing progress in local historical cemetery conservation. A total of 914 hours have been recorded, and with the Massachusetts volunteer value at $34.97 per hour, this project has an in-kind volunteer value of $31,962. We thank you for making a difference in your community!
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Also supporting and making a huge difference to the Sutton Historical Society Cemetery Conservation Ambassadors last month was Ethan Westbury and Sutton Scout Troop 243 members, parents, and grandparents. Ethan led an Eagle Scout project at Pigeon Hill Cemetery in Sutton with 26 volunteers to clean over 200 stones. These include monuments, memorials, gravestones, plaques, markers, and the lot corner stones. Among these is the granite parameter for the Sumner Putnam family lot that, based on its surface area, could easily be considered as 10 more stones. As an adjunct, the gates to both the Original Section and the Northside Extension were adjusted to stop dragging on the ground when opening and closing. Then the gates for the original section were thoroughly brush cleaned and repainted.
This project earned them the “Resource Stewardship Scout Ranger” patch. They logged 71 hours at a value of $2,482.87. Thank you, Troop 243, and congratulations, Ethan!
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Volunteers from the BHC Cemeterery Conservation Ambassadors at the Sutton Historical Society proudly stand with the reset and newly cleaned headstone of Isaac King, a Revolutionary War Veteran. Pictured left to right are David Pizzi, Brian Stevenson, John Belculfine, and Ross Weaver. |
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Greg Duhamel Keeps Woonsocket Cemetery Conservation Ambassadors Busy with Several Projects |
Volunteers of the BHC Cemetery Conservation Ambassadors, Woonsocket Chapter, continued to maintain historical cemeteries throughout greater Woonsocket with special attention to RI Historical Cemetery #27 Elder Ballou in Cumberland, and RI Historical Cemetery #17 Baptist Hill Cemetery in Woonsocket. They also have added RI Historical Cemetery # 1 Cook Cemetery in Woonsocket to the ongoing list of volunteer cemetery maintenance.
"It is a task that that never ends," explained VIP Greg Duhamel. "When COVID kept everyone home, volunteering in the historical cemeteries was and still is the perfect place to make a difference while social distancing."
The group has logged in 579 volunteer hours at a volunteer in-kind value of $16,350!
Wow! They certainly imagined the possibilities! Thank you!
Pictured above (left to right) are BHC Cemetery Conservation Ambassadors (Woonsocket Chapter) Johnelle Bergeron, Greg Duhamel, and Zachary Cote.
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Betty and Carlo Mencucci Reach a Cemetery Conservation Milestone in Burrillville, RI |
"We are finishing up conservation work on our 40th cemetery in Burrillville," Betty Mencucci proudly announced. "It is the Amaziah Harris lot in the woods off Lapham Farm Road. All materials have to be hauled in a rocky cart path full of roots about 600 feet. There are many broken slate stones there. We brought home a slate stone to repair, and now that it is all in one piece, it is quite heavy. We plan to fasten it to a stiff board and haul it in on a hand truck."
"We also have repaired a broken marble stone at home with a sizeable missing piece. An 'infill' was done to replace the missing stone. When these two stones are set, we will have finished our 40th cemetery. In every cemetery we work in, we clean and reset every single stone in the cemetery and do any necessary repairs. We also make sure the cemetery is maintained after our work is done. After we finish each cemetery, we celebrate by walking or riding our bikes to Wright's Farm for dinner (7 miles round trip)."
Betty and Carlo logged an impressive 687 volunteer hours this fiscal year at an in-kind value of $19,400! Thank you!
Betty and Carlo also reached another milestone this year with their 10th anniversary as Volunteers-In-Parks volunteers! Congratulations, Betty and Carlo!
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Thank you to the Blackstone Heritage Corridor Bikeway Ambassadors for supporting the adaptive cycling events this year with All Out Adventures and Bike-On. BHC helped presented five programs this year at the Blackstone River Greenway in Blackstone, MA; the Blackstone River Bikeway in Lincoln, RI; and the Woonasquatucket River Greenway in Providence, RI.
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BHC Hosts Transition Site at the 20th Annual Greenway Challenge |
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Thank you to all the volunteers, and congrats to the Blackstone Heritage Corridor team (Tom Lamont, Beth Grimes, and Katie Cunningham), who placed third in the co-ed 2-4 person team category!
We congratulate all the athletes for participating in the event and give special thanks to Charlie Thompson for continuing the Blackstone Valley tradition. Congrats on 20 years of the Blackstone River Valley Greenway Challenge!
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Plein Air Painting in Slatersville - Saturday, October 16 |
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"Arts in the Parks"
Plein Air Painting in Slatersville
Saturday, October 16
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Meet at North Smithfield Town Hall
83 Greene Street
North Smithfield, RI
Come paint with us outdoors in the historic village of Slatersville, RI! Enjoy painting in the media of your choice at one of many vantage points in America's first planned industrial mill village.
Join us for our sixth and final Plein Air event of the year. Visit with us at North Smithfield Town Hall during North Smithfield Art Committee's Open House being held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
This is a non-instructional event. Pre-registration required.
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In celebration of Founders Day, the birthday of the National Park Service, we invited artists to Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark to be a part of the Founders Day celebration with Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park.
Photos and video by Suzanne Buchanan, Bonnie Combs, and Carol Dandrade. Video produced by Dennis Smith, a Volunteers-In-Parks volunteer.
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John H. Chafee Heritage Awards |
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BHC Seeks Nominations For John H. Chafee Heritage Awards |
The John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor (BHC) seeks nominations for the John H. Chafee Heritage Awards. The Chafee Awards honor individuals or groups who have worked on projects, programs, and organizations that promote cultural heritage, environmental conservation, and/or the quality of life in the Blackstone River Valley. Award winners will be honored early this winter.
BHC established the award to honor the late Senator John H. Chafee and recognizes citizens and organizations whose work in the Blackstone Valley embodies Chafee’s vision and ideas. Recipients have included community leaders, preservation heroes, business partners, environmental advocates, and students whose achievements resulted in public benefit.
To submit a nomination, send a one-page letter citing their accomplishments. In addition, please indicate if the candidate is a student for whom there is a separate category. Nominations must be received by October 15, 2021, and can be mailed to Chafee Awards, Blackstone Heritage Corridor, 670 Linwood Avenue, Whitinsville, MA, 01588, or emailed to Devon Kurtz at dkurtz@blackstoneheritagecorridor.org.
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News from Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park |
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Change of Season, Change in Staff |
"On Saturday, October 9, we will say "so long and thanks" to our amazing team of seasonal rangers," noted park ranger Andy Schnetzer. "Dave, Steve, and Tyler served thousands of visitors this summer. We began this season with fully outdoor operations, were able to eventually move indoors, and then began offering tours of Old Slater Mill. We wouldn't have been so successful increasing access to these amazing sites if it weren't for their professionalism, passion, dedication to safety, and care for America's treasures." |
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Kelly Barn Closes for the Season |
The Kelly Barn at Blackstone River State Park will be closed for the fall and winter season starting Sunday, October 10.
If you still haven't been, your last days to visit include Thursday, September 30 through Sunday, October 3, and Thursday, October 7 through Saturday, October 9, between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The address is 1075 Lower River Road, Lincoln, RI. The barn is on the towpath, steps away from the Capt. Wilbur Kelly House Transportation Museum, which will remain open through Sunday, October 31, and is staffed with rangers from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.
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New Days and New Hours to Visit Old Slater Mill |
Starting Wednesday, October 13, Old Slater Mill will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Free, ranger-guided tours will run at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
This change starts on Saturday, October 9. Old Slater Mill will not be open on Sundays during the fall and winter.
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With the shift in hours at the visitor sites, Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park and Roger Williams National Memorial are looking for a few knowledgeable and dedicated volunteers to serve as front-line representatives in Pawtucket and Providence.
The National Park Service relies on many thousands of skilled volunteers to protect and honor American heritage. If you have an interest in volunteering at a local treasure, please reach out to the volunteer coordinator at volunteer@blackstoneheritagecorridor.org. An orientation/training will be scheduled in the near future to highlight the volunteer opportunities on-site.
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Become a GearHead Junior Ranger |
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"Explore, Discover, Protect, and GO!"
The Junior Ranger motto is recited by children around the country, each taking an oath of their own to protect parks, continue to learn about parks, and share their own ranger story with friends and family. Here in the Blackstone River Valley, Junior Rangers are called GearHeads. What's a GearHead, you might ask?
GearHead (n.): a kid, powered by the gears in their brain, who explores nature, discovers history, protects the environment, and goes on adventures throughout the Blackstone River Valley.
Click through the GearHeads website and claim your Junior Ranger status today! Submit a completed activity, and we'll send you a Junior Ranger badge!
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Junior Rangers Take Nature Notes on the Road |
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BHC volunteers Steve and Julie Riendeau took their grandkids, Alana and Wyatt, to hike at the Spring Lake Quarry in Burrillville, RI, and packed the new GearHeads Junior Ranger Nature Notes journals with them to record their findings! Thank you, Steve and Julie, for inspiring new Junior Rangers in the Blackstone River Valley!
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October 19 is Robert Goddard Day |
One day when he was just 17, Robert Goddard was up in a cherry tree pruning branches when he had the first thought about creating a rocket. Throughout his life, he celebrated October 19th as his Anniversary Day.
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Navigate & Explore the Blackstone River Valley
with our Interactive Map!
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670 Linwood Avenue, Whitinsville, MA 01588
(508) 234-4242
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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