All Pawtucket All The Time

West Warwick, RI – Cox Communications New England recently announced the promotion of Ed Mastriano to senior manager of Marketing and Client Solutions for Cox Media.

In his new role Mastriano is responsible for creating partnerships with sales and sales service teams to create, develop and implement customized solutions for Cox Media clients. Importantly, he also will set the strategic direction and lead a team of marketing, analytical and creative professionals to generate new business partnerships. 

Mastriano joined Cox Media in 2008 as marketing manager. Prior to joining Cox, he served as promotions and marketing coordinator for WJAR NBC 10. 

In making the recent announcement, Adam Hamblett, Cox Media vice president said, “Ed’s extensive marketing and promotions background continues to be a strong asset for our clients and our organization as a whole.” 

Mastriano holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Franklin Pierce College. He resides in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. 

About Cox Communications

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet and telephone services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves more than 6 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising. Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For seven years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; for five years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity, and the company holds a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

Festival Organizers Announce Dates for 2012 Pawtucket Arts

 Kicks off on Friday, September 7, 2012

 PAWTUCKET, RI –  The Pawtucket Arts Festival will take place Friday, Sept. 7 through Sunday, Sept. 23 at various locations throughout Pawtucket showcasing performing and visual arts, music, photography, and ethnic cuisine. The announcement of this year’s dates is made by Festival Chair John Baxter.

“We’ll begin with the widely popular ‘Festival Gala’ that brings great music plus food samplings from some of Pawtucket’s finest restaurants on Friday, Sept. 7, from 6-11 p.m. at the Historic Slater Mill,” noted Baxter. 

“The 2012 Pawtucket Arts Festival offers the finest representation of performing, visual and culinary arts in the New England region with most events at no cost,” continued Baxter. “Festival goers will delight in the expanded choices in all medium of the arts offered this year, and we are excited to present them.” 

Mayor Donald R. Grebien noted that the Pawtucket Arts Festival is bigger and better with the continued, strong support of the city’s business community and the hard work of the volunteer festival organizers. “We hope to see thousands of people come to this year’s Arts Festival to celebrate and enjoy the arts, Pawtucket-style.” 

Many popular events, including the Gala, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Pops Orchestra, and Open Studios, will return along with new programming. Michael Davolio, Planning Director noted that new faces on the Arts Festival Committee are bringing new energy and enthusiasm, but there is still room for more. There are several committees who could benefit from extra hands.

This year’s Honorary Co-Chairs of the Pawtucket Arts Festival are Rep. Elaine Coderre, Attorney General Peter Kilmartin and Kristine Kilmartin and Senator James E. Doyle, II.  

A complete listing of all festival events, locations, times and sponsors will be available at www.pawtucketartsfestival.org.  To volunteer to participate in event planning, please contact Pawtucket Arts Festival Program Coordinator, Diane Agostini at 401-724-5200, or at dagostini@pawtucketri.com.     

Thirty Daisy Girl scouts traveled out to Camp Rocky Farm in Newport last weekend to enjoy a My Dolly and Me program. 

Senior and Ambassador Girl Scout Troop 933 hosted the tea party event serving different tea at each station. 

Mackenzie Plante and Estefany Gutierrez lead he kindergarten and first grade girls in fun games designed around their dolls;

Abigail Turner lead story time; Bailey Young created tiaras with the girls for them and their dolls; and Holly Letourneau and Aurora Weil created clay cakes for the dolls, plus lead the girls in decorating petite petifores for themselves! 

Each Daisy took home a grab bag full of dress-up, a tea cup and saucer, and a baked clay cake to keep the dolly playtime going! 

This older girl troop, made of high school students, runs lots of younger girl program and loves every chance they get to share their girl scout spirit and knowledge.

Messier hopes to allocate axle restriction fees for detour, Division Street Bridge repairs 

With the Division Street Bridge being utilized as a detour route from the Pawtucket River Bridge, Rep. Mary Duffy Messier (D-Dist. 62, Pawtucket, East Providence) introduced a bill last week that would allocate funds from a restricted receipt account to be used for repairs and restoration to Pawtucket’s Division Street Bridge and other detour roads.

 The bill (2012-H 7160) additionally asks for inspections of the Division Street Bridge, which crosses the Pawtucket River and Taft Street, every six months instead of on a biennial basis. Any costs associated with the bridge inspection will also be paid from a receipt account, which would be made up of collected fees from Pawtucket River Bridge weight and axle restriction violations.

“With all of the traffic on Division Street, this is really for the safety of everyone,” said Representative Messier. “That bridge was built in 1877 and it needs to be checked regularly. We must deal with the consequences of creating these detours. The state has collected millions of dollars in weight and axle restriction fees from the Pawtucket River Bridge, and I think it’s only right that the money flows back into the project somehow.”

According to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, the city-owned Division Street Bridge was reconstructed in 1985 and remains functionally obsolete, or not built to standards used today. Although it is not considered inherently unsafe, Representative Messier said it is imperative that more frequent inspections occur in light of the increase in traffic and heavier loads crossing the bridge.

Co-sponsoring the legislation are Representatives Raymond H. Johnston Jr. (D-Dist. 61, Pawtucket), Roberto DaSilva (D-Dist. 63, East Providence, Pawtucket), William San Bento Jr. (D-Dist. 58, Pawtucket, North Providence) and Elaine A. Coderre (D-Dist. 60, Pawtucket). It has been referred to the House Finance Committee.

Pictured are (l-r) Bob Conner, general manager, City Councilor-at-large Albert Vitali Jr., Mayor Donald R. Grebien, who brought a congratulatory citation from the city, owner Jack Doherty, who also operates Doherty’s East Ave. Irish Pub in the city, and District 2 City Councilor Mark Wildenhain.

A ceremonial opening was held on Wednesday, Jan. 25 for Sullivan’s Publick House, 572 Armistice Blvd. The new business debuted recently after major renovations to a building that had been vacant for about two years. Doherty described the operation as “a neighborhood pub with good food in a family friendly atmosphere.”

Sullivan’s is open seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Mayor Grebien, Congressman David Cicilline and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras (from left) listen as SBA Administrator Karen Mills makes a point during informational session held at Tolman on Monday, Jan. 23.

Administrator Karen Mills of the U.S. Small Business Administration, at the invitation of Congressman David Cicilline, made a visit to Pawtucket on Monday, Jan.23 where she discussed SBA loan initiatives and other small business programs with several city and town leaders, including her local host Mayor Donald R. Grebien, at an hour-long session in the Tolman High School library.

SBA Administrator Karen Mills discusses small business initiatives with Mayor Grebien in meeting at Tolman High School.

Among those attending were Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, North Smithfield Town Administrator Paulette Hamilton and Bristol Town Administrator Diane Mederos. Mills, whose position was elevated to cabinet status by President Obama, noted her local ties include a cousin in Pawtucket and her husband, Bowdoin College President Barry Mills, who is a native of Warwick.

Blackstone Valley, RI) The Pawtucket Foundation, in partnership with the Cities of Pawtucket and Central Falls, is working collaboratively with property owners and local officials to catalyze future investment on the riverfront. “Thanks to private funding from a number of companies as well as The Rhode Island Foundation and Ocean State Charities Trust, The Pawtucket Foundation is prepared to allocate substantial resources to aid in the economic revitalization of the riverfront,” said Thomas Mann, executive director of The Pawtucket Foundation. 

Earlier this year, The Pawtucket Foundation published an organizational strategic plan positioning the business-backed nonprofit to facilitate real estate predevelopment planning activities for mixed-use, retail and recreational use along the historic river and other strategic locations in the City. 

“The City of Pawtucket is always looking for ways to unlock the great development potential of our riverfront,” said Mayor Donald R. Grebien. “We know there is a lot of untapped potential there that could be unlocked with the right type of investment, and my planning staff is working closely with our partners so we can brand our riverfront as the Gateway to Rhode Island and the Blackstone River Valley.”

Rhode Island Foundation President and CEO Neil D. Steinberg underscored Mayor Grebien’s enthusiasm for the project. “This is the kind of collaboration we like to support with our grantmaking,” he said, adding, “The study we are funding will help the Pawtucket Foundation and its partners decrease environmental hazards in the community while maximizing the economic development possibilities of these important riverfront land parcels.”

During the last several months, The Pawtucket Foundation and a team of public and private officials, including Gayle Corrigan and Stephen Larrick from the state-appointed receiver’s team in Central Falls, devised a strategy for a public-private venture to coordinate future private land development. The development potential is leveraged by $125M in ongoing transportation-related projects in the area, particularly along the Blackstone River and Roosevelt Avenue Corridor.

Since earlier this spring, The Pawtucket Foundation has been aggressively fundraising and organized a partnership including local government, property owners, Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor and Slater Mill Museum. The Rhode Island Foundation awarded $38,000 while Ocean State Charities Trust contributed $3,000; other private contributions were also received. The City of Pawtucket is awaiting the outcome of a Statewide Planning Challenge Grant Application submitted jointly with Central Falls and The Pawtucket Foundation.

“With at least six significant sites within the project area primed for redevelopment or infill, the prospect of a new National Park creates the urgency to coordinate future investments,” said Michael Davolio, Director of Planning and Redevelopment at the City of Pawtucket.

The City of Pawtucket and Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency own or control four parcels that will be included in the predevelopment analysis. “This partnership creates a vehicle to look at how we best utilize the property the City controls,” said Davolio, “and we are appreciative of the private sector support to help lead and pay for this important planning work.”

Riverfront predevelopment efforts will likely involve market analysis, urban design, due diligence, environmental stewardship and a public private implementation phase that could potentially create a development district, a package of incentives and expedited permitting process for compatible projects and infrastructure improvements.

Statement of Pawtucket Mayor Donald R. Grebien

We have lost one of our state’s truly inspiring leaders, a man without pretense who could so easily relate to Rhode Islanders from all walks of life, just as they related to him.

The famous image of Governor Garrahy in his red plaid flannel shirt keeping everyone calm, including young people like me, during the Blizzard of ’78 and leading by example in a time of crisis has become so enduring because it crystallized the man and his character.

His personal story of being born of Irish immigrants, serving in our nation’s military and going on to hold the state’s highest office has remained an inspiring one for succeeding generations.

In his later years he continued his role of public service in the community, including as a member of the R.I. Cancer Council based in Pawtucket. Our deepest condolences go to his wife, Margherite, and their children and extended family.

Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin issued the following statement on the passing of former Governor J. Joseph Garrahy:

“Rhode Island has lost a great leader and statesman.  I was saddened to learn of the passing of former Governor J. Joseph Garrahy this morning.  He was one of our most treasured and trusted public officials, and remained a role model for all throughout his life.

“I remember my first encounter with Governor Garrahy in the early 1970’s when he was Lieutenant Governor and attended a ceremony for my Boy Scout troop.  His commitment to youth is a trait I try to emulate to this day.

“His steady and comforting presence helped all Rhode Islanders get through the Blizzard of ’78.  It was in large part through his persistence that Rhode Island was declared a federal disaster after the storm.  Although Governor Garrahy will always be most remembered as a beloved statesman, he will also be remembered as one who lived the American Dream, starting out as a Narragansett beer salesman, rising through the ranks politically to governor, and then becoming a skilled businessman.  His acumen and expertise was consistently sought by others.

“Governor Garrahy was a true statesman, gentleman and family man, and will be missed greatly.  My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Margherite, their five children, and their entire family.”