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Tourism Council News | Sustainable Tourism Lab News

2009 Newsletters: February

2008 Newsletters: January | March | April | September | November

June 25 - WABI - Channel 5, Main
Check Out Weekend Getaway - Pawtucket is "Transforming"
Poor Pawtucket. It was the proud home of the nation's first commercially successful water-powered cotton-spinning mill, making it the official birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution . But the city has yet to fully recover from the collapse of the textile industry that once anchored its economy. More

June 20 - Woonsocket Call
A Decade of Celebrating Rhody's Rivers
CENTRAL FALLS — “Look!” someone called out from the back of the Blackstone Valley Explorer as the boat crept along through Lonsdale Marsh. Sure enough, explained National Park Service Ranger and tour narrator Kevin Klyberg, there was a large blue heron perched on the west bank of the river. The bird was a concrete example of the progress the Blackstone River has made from its once-polluted state towards becoming a fishable and swimmable waterway. The free tour on the Explorer was part of the tenth annual Rhode Island Rivers Day, held this Saturday and sponsored by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (BVTC). Rivers Day aims to celebrate waterways across the state, with special emphasis on the Blackstone River. More

June 11 - Valley Breeze
Local flavor offers cultural cuisine
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council hosts the '2009 Secret Ingredient Food Tour.'
Maybe it's a sign of the times, but with many folks looking for unique ways to stay close to home during the summer and early fall, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council is hosting the "2009 Secret Ingredient Food Tour." With its myriad places to find the last meal of the day in establishments throughout Blackstone River Valley, the tour offers patrons the opportunity to try cuisines from other parts of the world. More

June 2009 - Lite 105
Larry Bonoff talks Warwick Musical Theatre with Jones and Heather
Lite Rock 105 listener Donna Houle from Blackstone Valley told us a great story about her memories of The Tent. Turns out, she was once a child actor in WMT's production of "The King and I." More

June 18, 2009 - Providence Journal
It’s a busy time of year for paddlers and pedalers The Appalachian Mountain Club’s Narragansett Chapter hosts two clam cake rides this weekend. Paddlers and pedalers are celebrating the arrival of summer with guided kayak and bike trips organized by Rhode Island conservation groups. The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission and the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council will host the annual Rivers Day Celebration Saturday at the Central Falls Boat Landing, 45 Madeira Ave. There’ll be food, and special events for children, as well as National Park Service Rangers giving special guided river boat tours. The celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call (401) 724-2200 for more info. More

January 25, 2009
Saturday Breakfast Series at Ground Round
The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council will be holding a series of breakfasts at the Ground Round in Pawtucket. The fare includes a hearty breakfast buffet of scrambled eggs, hash browns, English muffins, pancakes, sausage and bacon, cereal, assorted muffins, juice and coffee. More

January 2009
Tour RI offers Bus Tours Around the State
On May 2, Rhode Islanders will have the chance to take one of 24 bus tours around the state as part of the program, which received the 2007 Odyssey Award for Geotourism from the Travel Industry of America. Providence Journal | Providence Business News | Government Press Release

January 20, 2009 - Woonsocket Call
From RI to DC: A Road Trip to Remember
By SANDY McGEE ABOARD “THE BUS TRIP FOR CHANGE” — As we departed downtown Providence around 10:30 p.m. Monday, there was a fitting image in the distance, a billboard with a single word in large black type: “HOPE.” And so began this historic journey to Washington. The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, which organized the chartered motorcoach trip, hailed it as the “Bus Trip for Change.” More than 50 people aboard paid $139 each for the opportunity to be in the nation’s capital for the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States, the first African-American to hold the highest office in the land. More

July 23, 2008 - Providence Journal
Blackstone Explorer offers a cruise-food combo
Central Falls Landing buzzes with people on a recent July evening. A group of about 28 is filing into the Blackstone Valley Explorer, a canopied charter boat offering historical and wildlife tours of the Blackstone River. There is a plate of complimentary pastries and beverages, including malta, a non-alcoholic drink made from barley and hops that has a sweet, molasses taste. The dark drink piques the curiosity of just a handful. The rest are wary. More

6/5/2008
Make Reservations NOW for the Annual Blackstone Valley Fall Foliage & Shopping Excursion to Putnam, CT
Although the summertime vacation season is upon us, it’s time to plan now for an always exciting and fun autumn season experience, as the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (BVTC) presents the Annual Blackstone Valley Fall Foliage Rail Tour & Shopping Excursion to Putnam, CT. More

6/11/2008 Providence Journal
Broad Street International Food Tour
Want to take an international food tour without air fare or travel plans? The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council is introducing the three-hour Broad Street International Food Tour. It begins tonight and runs on Wednesdays for 10 weeks. The experience will change every week, depending on the destination. More

May, 2008
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council Accepting Reservations for Education Programs, Summer Camps, Senior Groups & Charters Pawtucket, RI—The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, is now accepting reservations for programs aboard the Blackstone Valley Explorer, a 49-passenger riverboat. More

April 29, 2008
Pumping Up Tourism
The hottest topic in the tourism business is what impact record-high gasoline prices will have on the business. Will people decide to cut back their vacations this summer? Will Rhode Island benefit from people who choose to stay close to home, rather than spend their money elsewhere? Tourism officials aren’t quite sure what the answers are to these questions, and they are coming up with promotions they hope will keep visitors coming to the state. More

April 29, 2008
Boardwalk Extends Bikeway through Cumberland Marsh (Providence Journal) The wooden boardwalk runs along the upper edge of the Lonsdale Marsh, offering pedestrians and bicyclists an up-close view of what officials call a tremendous turnaround in one of the largest marshlands in Providence County. More | Cycleblackstone.com

March 31, 2008
COMMUNITIES OF THE BLACKSTONE VALLEY SCHEDULED TO TAKE PART IN THE GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP Nationwide community improvement program preserves the beauty of our local environment Blackstone Valley, R.I., (March 31, 2008) - Communities throughout the Blackstone Valley will join forces to participate in the Great American Cleanup during April and May. Volunteers from various community organizations and environmental groups around the Blackstone Valley of Rhode Island will hold litter cleanups, recycling events and beautification events. Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful, an environmental initiative of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, is aiding in event coordination and providing supplies such as bags, gloves, banners and more to volunteers. More

March 6, 2008
The Curtain Rises for New BVTC Interactive Theatre See films and videos anytime, anywhere on demand on website. Features 1972 Project ZAP documentary seen for the first time in 36 years highlighting first major cleanup of Blackstone River. The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council has a new link on its website at www.tourbalckstone.com that offers exciting film and video documentaries highlighting the heritage and culture of Blackstone River Valley. Visitors to the website can now link to the BVTC Theater anytime to see documentaries produced or presented by the Tourism Council. More

January 4, 2008
Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful to Hold Computer and Electronic Collection Cumberland, R.I. (January 4, 2008) - Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful, a program of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, will hold a computer and electronic collection on Saturday, January 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Cumberland at Green-Tech Assets Warehouse, 30 Meeting St. “If you received any new electronics as gifts over the holiday season, this collection will provide you with the opportunity to recycle the old ones,” said Kristin Zawistowski, Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful program coordinator and AmeriCorps*VISTA member. More

November 2007
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council Ends Successful Season on the River Free Sundays on the River Help Boost Number of Passengers aboard Blackstone Valley Explorer -- Pawtucket, RI With an increase of over 500 passengers aboard the Blackstone Valley Explorer and 50 overnight stays aboard the Samuel Slater Canal Boat, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council announces a successful season touring the Blackstone River for 2007. More

10/26/2007 (Providence Journal)
Place-making’ forum focuses on local flavor - Policymakers, city planners and tourism officials from Rhode Island and neighboring Connecticut and Massachusetts gathered downtown yesterday for a forum on “place-making” sponsored by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. More

10/12/2007 (Providence Journal)
The Blackstone Valley in Living Color More

10/03/2007
Blackstone Valley Outfitters - October Newsletter - September Journal More

9/24/2007
NEW: Place-Making - Sustainable Development Tourism Forum - Programs, Techniques and Practices for Your Organization
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Online Registration | View Brochure | Download Brochure (PDF)

9/21/2007
Annual Dinner Press Release

9/17/2007
Woonsocket Resident Crowned “Dynamite Queen”
By: Denise Perreault WOONSOCKET – The winner of the 2007 Great Dynamite Cook Off, sponsored by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, was Michelle Schiavo, a 43-year-old mother of three from Woonsocket who said she “just loves making dynamites.” More

Report prepared for the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council on the origin of the Dynamite sandwich

What’s so great about dynamites?
The color, the texture, the taste, and oh, the memories …

Woonsocket Call article

9/12/2007
One dynamite sandwich (Providence Journal, Gail Ciampa, Journal Food Editor)
When the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council put out the word that journalist Denise Perreault was researching the origin of “dynamites” for an upcoming cooking contest, four people contacted her to explain about dynamite. One even sent her a biography of Alfred Nobel who invented the explosive. More

9/9/2007
Investigation: The dynamite 'blasted' onto local tables in the Roaring '20s (Woonsocket Call, Denise Perreault)
In July 2007, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council retained the services of investigative journalist and former Call reporter and editor Denise Perreault to track down the origins of the Dynamite sandwich, which is a popular food staple in Woonsocket and the Blackstone River Valley. More

9/2/2007
Pawtucket perfect for dragon boating By Ellen Albanese, Boston Globe Staff

PAWTUCKET, R.I. - Few people think of this industrial town as coastal, but it sits at the bottom of the Pawtucket River and the top of Narragansett Bay. That makes it a great spot for the 8th Annual Rhode Island Dragonboat Race and Taiwan Day Festival, which takes place Saturday at the School Street Pier. More

8/30/2007
Dragon Boats Ready for Race

Enjoy Asian Heritage and Culture During the 8th Annual Rhode Island Chinese Dragon Boat Races & Taiwan Day Festival Saturday, September 8, 2007,8:00am-5:00pm, happening along Pawtucket, RI waterfront. More

8/29/2007
All Aboard the Polar Express!

Make reservations NOW for popular family fun event! Get ready for an exciting family fun journey to the “North Pole” as the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (BVTC) offers the annual Blackstone Valley Polar Express, happening along the Providence & Worcester Railroad. More

8/28/2007
An Old Way to Cross the Blackstone River Re-Opens (Providence Journal)

Today, Department of Transportation Director Jerome Williams and Department of Environmental Protection Director W. Michael Sullivan joined other state and local officials at the official opening of the Berkeley Martin Bridge, reestablishing the former Martin’s Way as a route over the river. They also re-opened the Blackstone River Bikeway, which now travels under the bridge, giving bikers and pedestrians a route that doesn’t cross traffic. More

8/22/2007
COMPETITION IS “FUSED” FOR DYNAMITE COOK-OFF IN WOONSOCKET, RI SEPTEMBER 15, 2007 Over four dozen participants ready to show off their recipes and become “blasted” into history as the Dynamite King or Queen

Saturday, September 15, will be an “explosive” day inside Woonsocket’s River Island Park, located at Market Square, as eager participants are “charging up” for victory at the First Blackstone Valley Dynamite Cook-Off Challenge. This special event is being held in conjunction with the 25th Annual French Farmers Market & Woonsocket Art Festival, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, September 14 - 15, 2007. More

8/5/2007
Using Tourism to Build the Blackstone Valley (Providence Journal)

The Newport mansions, South County beaches and Providence restaurants get all the attention when people talk about the tourism industry in Rhode Island. Bob Billington feels left out. “We are overlooked,” says Billington, president of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, the group that promotes historical, recreational and cultural attractions in the region that includes nine municipalities from Pawtucket to Woonsocket. More

5/27/2007
Launching the Dynamite into Culinary Fame
While the origin of the local favorite remains a mystery, organizers of an upcoming dynamite cook-off plan to bring the food to supermarket shelves More

7/20/2007
River Tours Aboard - The Blackstone Valley Explorer in Central Falls through Sunday, August 19, 2007

Bring Your Own Lunch Cruises in July & August and Summer Evening Nature Cruise with Audubon Society of RI

Pawtucket, RI - In addition to its regular public tours on Sundays @ 1, 2, 3 & 4 pm., in July and August, The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (BVTC) is offering. Bring your own lunch cruises aboard the Blackstone Valley Explorer on Wednesday, July 25, August 8 and Wednesday August 15 at 12:30 pm. In addition, BVTC is planning a Summer Evening Nature Cruise with the Audubon Society of Rhode Island on Friday, August 3 from 6:30pm to 7:45pm. More

7/18/2007
Dragon Boat Race Team Registrations Being Accepted - Plenty of Time to Join the Fun! The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (BVTC) is still accepting registrations for the 8th Annual Rhode Island Chinese Dragon Boat Races, being held Saturday, September 8, in Pawtucket, RI from 9 am to 5 pm. More

5/20/2007
NEW: Boston Globe: 25 Ways To Soak Up Summer More

3/14/2007
Boston Globe articles on Woonsocket and Rhode Island Chicken Family Style

Boston Globe Article on Woonsocket: Immigrant city French-Canadian heritage lends an Old-World air More

Boston Globe Article on Chicken Family Style: In Rhode Island, family-style chicken packs the house More

Boston Globe: Where to Go for Chicken Family Style More

NEW: 3/18/2007 Providence Journal: New Lincoln Park is pulling to hit the jackpot More

Bob Billington talks about Business Opportunities in the Blackstone Valley on NBC 10 Business Talk (International Dining Brochure) No longer on the station website

RiversDay to be held on June 16, 2007. More Info

Dean Studios Is Open for Business: New Rhode Island Film & Television Office soundstage and production facility opens in Cumberland. Download brochure

January Newsletter

Lincoln Park Reborn (Evening Times article) More

News Archive

Blackstone Valley Visitor Center, On the banks of the Blackstone, 175 Main Street, Pawtucket, Rhode Island 02860
1-800-454-BVTC (2882) Local: 401-724-2200 Fax: 401-724-1342 info@tourblackstone.com