Tourblackstone News | Sustainable Tourism Lab News

• September 20 - Tourism Council to Honor Two (Read down blog) - Providence Journal
  Former Providence Journal reporter Dan Barry, now with the New York Times, and Central Falls native Margaret McKenna, president of the Wal-Mart Foundation, will be given special awards at Blackstone Valley Tourism Council’s annual dinner on Thursday at Twin River in Lincoln. Barry is the author of “Bottom of the 33rd,” which chronicles the longest professional baseball game played — the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings in 1981. He will receive the Excellence in Arts Award. McKenna heads the division of the world’s largest retailer that supports community and nonprofit organizations. She will receive the Excellence in Business and Education Award. Reservations must be made in advance by calling (401) 724-2200.  More
   

• August 24 - RI tourism leaders to discuss new sightseeing tax - theday.com
  Pawtucket, R.I. (AP) — Starting Oct. 1, Rhode Island will impose its 7 percent sales tax on tickets for sightseeing tours, including bus and boat tours. The tax is expected to generate $1.1 million annually. Leaders of Rhode Island's tourism industry are set to discuss how the new tax will impact their businesses. The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council plans to host the meeting on Wednesday morning at the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center Theatre in Pawtucket. State tax officials will attend and are expected to respond to questions about the new tax. More | The Republic
   

• August 23 - Pawtucket Celebrates 125 Years - The Evening Times
  PAWTUCKET — Perhaps the best way to describe the fun and frivolity folks experienced at McCoy Stadium on Tuesday night is this: Mayor Donald Grebien's description of his throwing out the first pitch before the PawSox' tilt against the Syracuse Chiefs. “I reached the plate, that wasn't a problem, but it wasn't a strike,” laughed Grebien afterward. “The good news is Mike (Tamburro, PawSox President) did call it one. Congressman (David) Cicilline had said beforehand that he'd give the city a million-dollar grant if it was, so I'll be calling him tomorrow for the check.” The event — call it one heckuva party to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the city's incorporation — saw young and old chowing on hot dogs and potato salad under the first base-side hospitality tent, dignitaries welcoming each other with handshakes and dancers showing off their talents on the diamond. More
   

• August 17 - Secretary of Interior Tours Blackstone Valley - Woonsocket Call
  A top Obama administration official came to Rhode Island Wednesday offering encouragement to the effort to make the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley Heritage Corridor part of the National Park System. After taking a quick walking tour of the bike path from Ashton Mill in Cumberland to the visitor’s center off Route 295, Secretary of the Interior Kenneth Salazar pronounced the area “inspiring and uplifting.” He said of converting the area from the historic Slater Mill in Pawtucket through the mill villages of Ashton in Cumberland and Slatersville in North Smithfield to the Massachusetts villages of Hopedale and Whitinsville: “It is my wish that it happen.” More | Politicalnews.me | Video from Sen. Reed's Office
   

• August 15 - Birth of Blackstone River national park may spell end of commission - Providence Journal
  One after the other, nearly all of the more than 30 people who stood at a microphone told a representative from the National Park Service they want a national historic park established that’s composed of several sites in the Blackstone River Valley. Robert D. Billington was among those supporters, but made it clear he would also like officials to try for something More
   

• August 7 - Rhode Island Could Get National Park Designation - Providence Journal

Put Cumberland’s busy Mendon Road commercial strip in the rear-view mirror, turn onto Store Hill Road and suddenly, at the bottom of a hill, a small village of red-brick buildings emerges, quietly existing as if outside of time. Walk along a footbridge over the Blackstone River, whose waters used to offer only a bounty of discarded tires, dumped cars and textile-factory chemical bubbles, and in a space of feet you cross into Lincoln.  More

• August 3 - Ripples from Central Falls bankruptcy could harm whole state, experts say In the city once known as “Chocolateville” because it attracted one of America’s first chocolate factories, the nonprofit Confectioners Mill Preservation Society and the family behind Mars chocolate bars considered investing millions of dollars in Central Falls. They wanted to build a replica of the original chocolate mill and create a museum. But those plans are now on the back burner because of fiscal woes at the city, state and national levels.  More

• July 31, 2011 - Edward Fitzpatrick: Creating a new National Park in Blackstone River Valley - Providence Journal

  As far as I can tell, the Blackstone River Valley doesn’t contain a single geyser, bighorn sheep or giant sequoia. But it’s still worth making parts of the valley into a national park. Now, we’re not talking about a national park like Yosemite, Yellowstone or Acadia. We’re talking about a national historical park such as the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park or the Adams National Historical Park, in Quincy, Mass., which includes the birthplaces of Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Most of the 45 national historical parks aren’t “parks” in the traditional sense of wide-open green spaces. Rather, they’re urban areas containing historically significant buildings. More
   

• July 26, 2011 - Sales-tax impact is focus of briefing - Providence Journal

  Officials from the Rhode Island Division of Taxation will discuss the expansion of the sales taxes to package tours and scenic and sightseeing transportation services at a briefing sponsored by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council on Aug 24 at 8:30 a.m. at the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center Theatre, 175 Main St., Pawtucket. In general, a new law included in the state budget extends the state’s 7-percent sales tax to those services. Those interested in attending must register in advance by contacting the tourism council at (401) 724-2200.
   

• July 12, 2011 - R.I.’s first national historic park could soon take shape along the Blackstone River / Video
  A little boy sitting in this 40-passenger tour vessel as it readies to head out on the Blackstone River announces to everyone: “I’ve never been on a boat in history.” Dianne Mailloux, who coordinates the tours, smiles. “Well,” she says, “we’re making history today.” The child’s innocent words belie the turbulent history of the river, and what comes next would have been unthinkable many years ago — the very act of a tour boat carrying 27 Pawtucket children, shoving off from a Central Falls dock and purring north on these waters to experience river nature. More | Greenwich Time | Turn to 10 | Providence Business News | Boston.com
   

• May 11, 2011 - Governor Chafee, RI Tourism Honor Individuals and Organizations that Positively Impact State's Tourism Industry Governor Lincoln D. Chafee, the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, the Rhode Island Tourism Division and other state tourism leaders today honored individuals and organizations throughout Rhode Island at the 26th Anniversary Tourism Unity Luncheon and Travel Exchange. All honorees were chosen based on their collaboration and partnership, which has positively impacted the Rhode Island tourism industry. More
   

• March 6, 2011 -  Norwich Bulletin - Tourism expert: Make Norwich appealing to residents first Last Monday, I drove up to Pawtucket, R.I., to interview Robert D. Billington, president of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. A Rhode Island native, Billington is an internationally respected authority on tourism and its role in the economic redevelopment of towns and cities. Before a city becomes a tourist destination, Billington said, it must first focus on making itself a great place to live and work for those who already live there. “If we can make it a good place for us,” Billington said, “it becomes an attractive place to visitors.” Billington said Norwich’s new $3.38 million Downtown Revitalization Program is an excellent example of the kind of self-investment the city needs to make if it is to become attractive to new businesses, new residents and visitors. “You’ve got a tool (the bond package) we would die for” is how he put it. More
   

• May 12, 2011 - Providence Business News - Tourism Industry Feted by State
  WARWICK - Eight individuals, businesses and organizations were honored for their work promoting tourism in Rhode Island during the Tourism Unity Luncheon and Travel Exchange held Wednesday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Providence-Warwick and sponsored by the R.I. Economic Development Corporation and its tourism division. More
   

• March 26, 2011 - Star of film 'Hachiko' to be celebrated with bronze statue
  For six weeks, the metal statue was hidden in the janitor's broom closet. “It was a big secret,” say Robert Pilkington, principal of the Beacon Charter High School for the Arts. “Very few people knew about it.” But the secret's out now, and soon Hachiko – or at least a life-size bronze likeness of the famous dog – will be appearing at a train station near you, the mirror image of the original on the other side of the globe. More
   

• March 26, 2011 - Prevention of future massive flooding means fight or flee
  Robert D. Billington, president of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, a nonprofit economic-development organization that promotes the Blackstone River as a cornerstone of development in northern Rhode Island, said his philosophy on flood mitigation is: Flood me once, shame on you; flood me twice, shame on me.  More
   

• March 4, 2011 - Smackdown on the Blackstone - Op. Ed. by Bob Billington
  Revolutions don’t happen accidently. There must be a catalyst: someone or something has to be so unique and so paradigm changing that it sets the normal world ajar. One of America’s greatest revolutions took place here in the Blackstone River Valley. In fact, the revolution that gave America its economic independence began on the banks of the Blackstone River in Pawtucket.  More

• December 2, 2010 - Providence Journal: Market R.I. as destination for multi-layered tourism experiences, consultants say  People want active travel experiences embedded in local culture, not passive visits where they troop through a historic mansion. So say two consultants hired by the state’s tourism division to help figure out how Rhode Island can do a better job attracting visitors — and the money they spend while here. More

• The NPS Takes a Fresh Look at the Blackstone River Valley
  In October 2006, Congress passed legislation to reauthorize the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission for an additional five years. While the Blackstone River Valley was designated a National Heritage Corridor in perpetuity by Congress, the federal management presence will only exist as long as the federally created Corridor Commission continues to operate. The reauthorization legislation also required the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a Special Resource Study (SRS) to explore the potential for a permanent National Park Service (NPS) presence in the Blackstone Valley. A possible result of the study could be Congressional action creating a new unit of the National Park System in the Blackstone Valley. The SRS, which is being managed by staff from the NPS’ Northeast Regional Office, will focus on sites and landscape features that contribute to the understanding of the Blackstone Valley as the birthplace of the American industrial revolution. More 

  To learn about the study, including the five proposed management options, please see the June 2010 Blackstone SRS Newsletter.
   

• October 4, 2015 Root of river debate stems from trees along banks E-mail
  WOONSOCKET – The federal stimulus package was supposed to save jobs, but in this city it's helped trigger a debate over trees growing along the meandering banks of the Blackstone River. The Army Corps of Engineers says they must be chopped down and, in many cases, uprooted altogether to protect low-lying portions of the city from flooding. But some champions of recreational tourism and economic development say the government should rethink the plan. “I'm not sure it's a great idea,” says Robert Billington, director of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. “That river is becoming highly recreationalized and it really adds to the character of the river to have those trees in place.”  More
   

• Download information regarding Arista winners from Sustainable Tourism Lab  Download Info
   

• October 4, 2010: PawSox owner Ben Mondor, 85, dies
  Ben Mondor, the playful and beloved Pawtucket Red Sox owner who took the franchise off the scrap heap and created a jewel of minor league baseball, has died in his Warwick home. He was 85.  More

• October 4, 2010: The World Centre of Excellence for Destination joins GSTC (Travel Daily News)
  The World Centre of Excellence for Destinations (CED) announced that it has joined The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), an international partnership dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism practices around the world. Founded in partnership by the World Tourism Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, UN Foundation, Rainforest Alliance, Sabre/Travelocity and others, the GSTC is open to any member of the travel and tourism industries. More
   

• Arista Award Winners Worcester Canal District Wagon Tours – Evaluation was the winner. 
  Download Info | Photos
   

• September 25, 2010: The Times - Blackstone Valley Tourism Council Holds Awards Night 
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• July 15, 2010: Sing Tau Daily: Taiwan's new environmental art of nature's intricate
  Pu Taji City planning and redevelopment of Council's economic and cultural affairs officer Herb Weiss (left) has a special night in the Rhode Island Association of Chinese Vice-Ye Chao, accompanied by a general city to commemorate the festival poster, sent to Zheng Zhong and, Lvjia Ping. Kikuko photo More
   

• August 2, 2010: After the Blackstone Valley Heritage Corridor Commission loses federal money, then what? (Providence Journal)What happens next fall when, after 25 years, the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission is history? The corridor is a two-state, 24-town zone from Worcester, Mass., to Providence that was created by Congress in 1986. Within it, a commission overseen by board members appointed from agencies of the two states and the included municipalities has acted as a regional planning agency for historical preservation and economic development and been a conduit for federal aid. More
   

• June 2, 2010 Student creates Braille tourism guide
  Kerry Clark may be blind, but he already sees the future of tourism for the Blackstone Valley.
  Clark, a graduating senior at Woonsocket High School, has created a Blackstone Valley visitor guide completely written in Braille. He presented the booklet on Wednesday to Bob Gilson, volunteer coordinator for the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. “I wanted to make a Braille guide because there are so many tourism places in Rhode Island where they only have a printed guide,” said Clark, who is legally blind. “This is so people that are blind and visually impaired can know what's around them. It gives them a better understanding of the area.” Clark, 20, is also graduating this year from the hospitality, travel and tourism program at the Woonsocket Area Career and Technical Center (WACTCas). More
   

• June 3, 2010  Editorial by Bob Billington: Sustainable Tourism (Providence Journal)
  There are some things about Rhode Island that Rhode Islanders might love but that outsiders might crinkle their noses at.  Take, for example, Haven Bros. Diner outside Providence City Hall. People love old-fashioned diners — what some might call a “greasy spoon.” Imagine a national or global publicity video to bring tourists to Rhode Island: There’s a wide shot of City Hall on a blustery winter night and the camera zooms in on the line of chilly and diverse characters, waiting for hot wieners “all the way.”(Apologies to New York System, another mysterious Rhode Island institution.) How many tourists would that image reel in?  More
   

• March 18, 2010 Historian Betty Johnson dead at 85 (Evening Times)
  The city lost its resident historian this past weekend with the passing of Elizabeth “Betty” J. Johnson. The 85-year-old Johnson, who would have turned 86 on April 1, died on Mar. 13 at the Steere House in Providence, where she had been recently residing. According to Judy Ridolfi, who was Johnson's legal guardian, it was her express wishes to have no published obituary or public acknowledgment of her passing. More
   
• March 16, 2010 Pawtuxet, Blackstone rivers cause much flooding (Providence Journal) A powerful weekend northeaster that brought record amounts of rain from Maryland to New England dumped more rain on soggy Rhode Island Monday, causing the Pawtuxet and Blackstone rivers to overflow and leaving as many as 500 cars submerged in one section of West Warwick.  More
   

• March 14, 2010: Blackstone Valley agency facing bleak future (Providence Journal) Supporters of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission say the federally financed agency has been, for 24 years, like a wise den mother to two dozen towns, two state governments and an array of conservation and historic preservation groups from Providence to Worcester, mediating disputes and getting a sometimes disgruntled brood working together. More
   

• NEW: Pawtucket Foundation Annual Report  More
   

• Nov. 11, 2009: Cape Cod Times: Cape ranked in the middle
  Lackluster public transportation, declining environmental quality and overwhelming summer crowds were among the factors that landed Cape Cod in the middle of the pack in a new ranking of 133 iconic travel destinations by National Geographic Traveler magazine. But local tourism officials are not onboard with the magazine's conclusions. More
   

• September 28, 2009 Blackstone Alert Final Report presented to the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council by the Resilient Futures Network More
   

• Providence Journal - Sept. 18, 2009
  Family Guy’ writer Danny Smith honored for promoting Ocean State
  Rhode Island native Danny Smith and Seth MacFarlane (an honorary Rhode Islander by way of RISD) perform together during “An Evening With The Cast and Creators of Family Guy” in August. Danny Smith is a Family Guy. He’s also a Rhode Island guy. And for that twofer, he’s going to get an award. “Danny Smith has done much in his Hollywood career to promote Rhode Island and our valley to a national audience,” says Robert Billington, president of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. “As a local native who built his creative talents here in the Ocean State, we are very honored to recognize him this year.”  More
   

• Valley Breeze - Sept. 17, 2009
  Tourism council to hold annual awards dinner and silent auction PAWTUCKET - Blackstone Valley Tourism Council will hold its annual awards dinner and silent auction on Thursday, Sept. 24, at the Twin River Event Center, 100 Twin River Road in Lincoln. The tourism council will honor Danny Smith, a Smithfield native, and co-executive producer of the animated prime time show "The Family Guy," with the Tourism Council's Blackstone Valley Excellence in the Arts Award.  More
   

• Pawtucket Times-July 17, 2009
  Family Guy' producer and R.I. native Smith to receive BVTC award By Frank O'Donnell
  Danny Smith tends to keep his head low, keeping off other people's radar screens. That's why it's surprising to hear he's accepting an award from the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. "Honestly, it's a little odd, because I don't seek attention," said Smith in a recent interview from his Los Angeles office. "I really have been doing the same thing for about 20 years. I'm finally on a show that people know, and I get a lot more attention."  More
   

• Pawtucket Times-July 17, 2009
  East Bay towns eye Newport tourism merger
  BRISTOL — Tourism officials in the East Bay’s three towns — Bristol, Warren and Barrington — plan to break away from the East Bay Tourism Council and join Newport’s larger, richer tourism machine, if legislation moving through Smith Hill is approved and signed into law. More

• Pawtucket Times-July 17, 2009
  KeepSpace aims to foster a stronger community
  PAWTUCKET — With its focus on looking at Pawtucket and Central Falls as one big neighborhood that can benefit from improvements, the first meeting of a new think tank group known as KeepSpace was held at the Blackstone Valley Visitors Center on Wednesday morning. Founded by Rhode Island Housing, the KeepSpace initiative seeks to foster broad-based, respectful partnerships among residents, local businesses, non-profit organizations and municipal and state agencies for the betterment and preservation of neighborhoods. Pawtucket/Central Falls is one of four such KeepSpace communities that have been chosen to be part of the initiative in Rhode Island. The other three are Cranston, Olneyville and downtown Westerly. Rhode Island Housing has allocated up to $10 million to help fund the development of the first KeepSpace communities.  More
   

• July 15, 2009 - The Times (Pawtucket)
  Tourism leaders explore ways to ‘sell’ the Valley’s history WOONSOCKET — Like the Gare du Nord in Paris, the downtown train station was filled with activity, several members of the Blackstone Valley Interpreter’s Network in 19th century period dress, and the sounds of the French national anthem on the occasion of Bastille Day. Those present were not tourists eager to arrive at their vacation destinations, however. Instead, the crowd of local historic site managers and small tourism-focused businesses in the main room of the station was working hard to brainstorm ideas on how to transform the Blackstone River Valley into a world-class tourist destination itself. “The main questions we’re asking are, what is working [to bring tourism into the area]?” said Jan Reitsma, Executive Director for the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission, “and also, what is the greatest challenge going forth for tourism [in the area]?”
  The discussion was first led by a panel of six local, regional, and state level agencies from both Massachusetts and Rhode Island working to increase tourism’s presence as an engine of economic development in the bi-state region.  More
   

• May 15, 2009 - Providence Journal
  Blackstone Valley looks at ways to lure tourists PAWTUCKET — When people think of Rhode Island as a destination, the cities of Providence and Newport definitely come to mind, but how many people think about visiting the Blackstone Valley? The area north of Providence includes Cumberland, Central Falls, Smithfield, Woonsocket and Pawtucket — considered the birthplace of the industrial revolution, where Old Slater Mill, the first water-powered cotton-spinning mill in America, was built in 1793. More
   

• February 23, 2009 - Ohio.com
  Industrious preservations - Old mills along the Blackstone River in Rhode Island tell history story
  PAWTUCKET, R.I.: The yellow building with the white-topped cupola along the Blackstone River is one of the most historic structures in the United States.  It is Slater Mill, America's first factory and the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. It is also the centerpiece of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, a new-style national park that stretches north into Massachusetts.  More
   

• January 22, 2008 - Providence Business News
  BV Tourism Council short-listed for global award THE BVTC is one of three finalists for The World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2008 Destination Award, one of four awards in the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards program. PAWTUCKET – The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council today was named a finalist in The World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2008 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. It is one of 12 organizations selected by an international panel of a dozen experts led by sustainable tourism advocate Costas Christ. The finalists were chosen from a pool of 150 applicants, representing more than 40 countries. More
   

• December, 2008 - RI Hospitality Association
  Smithfield Resident Presented with the Mary Brennan Tourism Award by Rhode Island Hospitality Association  Cranston, RI – December 8, 2008 – The Rhode Island Hospitality Association (RIHA) recently honored Dr. Robert Billington, Smithfield resident and President of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, with the Mary Brennan Tourism Award at its “Stars of the Industry” Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony. The Stars of the Industry Awards recognize the outstanding achievements of members in the hospitality, foodservice and tourism industries. Award recipients were chosen not only for their dedication and contributions to their careers, but for their involvement in their local communities. More

• October 16, 2008 - Providence Journal + Tribute Video
  Robert Billington, president of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, is to be awarded the Tom Roberts Prize for Creative Achievement in the Humanities on Monday, presented by the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.  This is the latest in a series of honors for Billington, who earlier this year received the Pawtucket Foundation’s 2008 Heritage Award and the World Travel Awards’ North American Travel Personality of the Year Award. And before that, Billington received the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Ulysses Prize. Billington’s promotes tourism by combining it with historic preservation, environmentalism and commercial development. The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities’ presentation is to take place on Monday at 6 p.m. in Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence. There will be wine and hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and live music. For reservations, call (401) 273-2250.  More | See also Valley Breeze & Observer | View Tribute video on Google | View Tribute video with Flash

• September 28, 2008 - Woonsocket Call
  Just Call Him Mr. Travel
  But when he learned he was a contender for the World Travel Awards title of “Travel Personality of the Year,” he broke the rule. After all, it seemed so absurd that he would be competing for the title with the likes of Jay Raasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, and Cheryl Hudak, president and CEO of the mammoth American Society of Travel Agents, the whole thing seemed like a joke. But he’s not laughing now. He owes. More

• September 29, 2008
  BLACKSTONE VALLEY JOINS FORCES WITH KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL IN EXPANDING KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL’S AFFILIATE NETWORK  (Pawtucket, RI) September 29, 2008 Keep America Beautiful, Inc. welcomes an important new member to its expanding nationwide, community-based Network of Affiliates, with the certification of Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful, Keep America Beautiful President Matt McKenna announced today. Further, Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful is now the only Keep America Beautiful affiliate in Rhode Island. More | Evening Times article | Woonsocket Call | Valley Breeze

• September 25, 2008
  BTN talks to Dr. Robert Billington
  Dr. Robert Billington is the President of Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and was recently voted North American Travel Personality of the Year at the prestigious World Travel Awards. Dr. Billington is a pioneer of sustainable tourism and shares his views and insights into regeneration with BTN. More
   

• WINNER:  September, 2008
  More | Providence Business News | Valley Breeze | Providence Journal | World Travel Awards
  Billington Wins World Travel Award Dr. Robert Billington, President of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council has been nominated as a finalist for the World Travel Awards - North American Travel Personality of the Year. Billington was chosen as one of three finalists for his achievements in the travel and tourism industry. He is competing for the award with two other finalists who are: Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts; and Cheryl Hudak, President of the 20,000 member American Society of Travel Agencies (ASTA). 
   

• August 15, 2008 - Providence Business News
  Blackstone Tourism Council to honor people, companies at 23rd annual meeting
  PAWTUCKET – The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (BVTC) will honor two major companies with Blackstone Valley Lifetime Achievement Awards during the tourism council’s 23rd annual meeting Sept. 25 at Twin River in Lincoln. Companies honored will be Collette Vacations of Pawtucket and Hope Global of Cumberland. More
   

• July 24, 2008  Providence Phoenix
  Is RI making the most from its tourism appeal? Critics call a variety of agencies a wasteful approach in this small state
  Even those with an appropriately dim view of quintessential Rhode Island boondoggles can agree that the Ocean State has a lot to offer — great beaches, superb restaurants, good nightlife, dynamic arts and culture, a rich sense of history, and a mix of urban and rural settings within short proximity, all tied together with considerable idiosyncrasy. So if you were going to promote this plate of attractions to potential visitors in other states, what would be the best way to do it? More
   

• July 16, 2008
  NBC10 Ombudsman recants Channel 10 Story regarding Council recommendations of Italian restaurants - calls reporting inaccurate
  
  "The BVTC representative did initially guide the caller to Federal Hill, contrary to what was reported. The BVTC representative did not recommend the Olive Garden in Massachusetts or Vinny T's in Massachusetts, contrary to what was reported. The representative did not specify a location for the Olive Garden and his mention of Olive Garden and Vinny T's was in (an apparently forthright) response to a question about where he goes, not necessarily where he would recommend.
  
  Based upon the materials reviewed, the story as aired was not an accurate representation of the facts gathered by the reporter. The station's own review of the circumstances of this story has resulted in a correction and apology, both of which are necessary and appropriate." Read full statement in PDF

• July 9, 2008
  Tourism Council Teams with Northern Rhode Island Conservation District to Support Environment
  The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (BVTC) is joining forces with the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District (NRICD) in helping to support the NRICD Tree Planting Program in getting visitors to the Blackstone River Valley to donate money to benefit tree planting activities. Donation boxes will be set up through the Northern Rhode Island area at area merchants and visitor centers where people can drop off their cash donations. More

• New: May 29, 2008
  Proposed stores conflict with original vision for boat landing - There's always been a vision, but private investment never followed the hundreds of thousands of state and federal dollars invested in the massive Blackstone River dock that's been named Central Falls Landing. It's the only dock in all 45 miles of the river, according to Robert Billington, president of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. More
   

• April 22 - 29, 2008
  Council wins Tourism for Tomorrow Destination Award
  Think 'tourism destination' and the image that comes to mind is not likely to be a place known for its polluted rivers, abandoned businesses, high unemployment and disenfranchised local communities. Yet, that is exactly what the Blackstone River Valley was when local community members launched the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (BVTC) in 1985. Their goal was to revitalize the nine communities along the Blackstone River Valley in Rhode Island that formed the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution and then ultimately became a victim of it when the Blackstone became the first polluted river in the Western Hemisphere and its industrial economy collapsed. Working with a wide range of multi-stakeholders, BVTC has shown that tourism can play a key role in helping to revitalize a downtrodden economy and bring back a river once declared "dead" to the benefit of local people, business, and nature. Through a destination stewardship approach to tourism development, including the preservation of the area's natural, cultural and historical heritage, BVTC has succeeded in uniting a community and awakening it to its new economic potential. With innovative projects like the Sustainable Tourism Development and Planning Laboratory, the Council continues to grow and enhance its many offerings, while sharing the lessons it has learned with other tourism destinations. More | Providence Business News Story | Travel Mole Interview with Bob Billington | View videos (click on items in left column) | Tourism for Tomorrow Website
  
  In the mid-1980s, when Robert Billington was prowling church basements and council chambers, talking to groups and governments about how tourism could help energize the regional economy of the Blackstone Valley, there were always a few people in the back who joked about his sanity. But last week, he was in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at the annual convention of the World Travel and Tourism Council, a trade group of 100 of the world’s biggest tourism companies. He wasn’t there to be mocked but to receive, on behalf of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, the international organization’s Destination Award for 2008.
  Providence Journal Article
   

• April 18, 2008 Providence Journal - John Hill
  Blackstone Valley Tourism Council up for award Robert Billington, president of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, will be spending next week in Dubai, where they have transformed a desert town into a multimillion-dollar international tourism resort. It will be a familiar story. Billington is traveling there to attend the annual meeting of the World Tourism and Trade Council to find out if the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council will be the winner of the international tourism business group’s Destination Award for 2008. More
   

• April 15, 2008 Providence Journal
  Robert Billington: The glorious rebirth of the Blackstone Valley Efforts to restore the vitality of the Blackstone River Valley are apparent across its landscape. In its history, the valley that was a pioneer of renewable energy (via waterpower) and understood the principles of sustainability eventually lost its focus even as it helped bring America to world-leader status by helping to start the nation’s industrialization. With the success of manufacturing in the Blackstone River Valley in textiles, machinery, jewelry and other industries, the valley turned away from protecting the Blackstone and subsequently let it become a catch-all for chemicals, dyes, metals, sewage and eventually household goods and automobiles. Anything that was not wanted went into the river, or on its banks. This abuse continued long into the 20th Century. More
   

• April 2, 2008 Providence Journal
  Pawtucket Foundation Bestows Honors - Bob Billington Receives Heritage Award - Developer Lance J. Robbins is a real estate lawyer based in Los Angeles. Tourism director Robert D. Billington is Blackstone Valley born and bred. The two men live thousands of miles apart, but both have had a major impact on the city and its redevelopment.  In recognition of that impact, the Pawtucket Foundation honored them at its fifth annual awards celebration, which took place in the Pawtucket Armory last night.  Billington, 57, received the foundation’s Heritage Award for his leadership of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. Robbins, 60, was named the foundation’s Person of the Year.  More
   

• April 2, 2008 Evening Times
  Best of Pawtucket - Lance J. Robbins, the recipient of the Pawtucket Foundation’s “Person of the Year” award, called his transformation of the city’s old mills a “mystical odyssey.” More
   
• 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
   

• 1/4/2008
  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.
   

• 10/17/2007 (Forbes)
  Rhode Island No. 8 in Greenest States  More
   

• 10/22/2007 (Providence Business News)
  Creating ‘places,’ not tourist traps By William Hamilton
  As a tourism industry leader, Robert Billington should be concerned about attracting visitors and their dollars to his region in northern Rhode Island. But right now, he’s not worried about it too More
   

• 11/1/2007
  Regional Distribution of Tourism (PowerPoint)  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
   

• 10/1/ 2007
  Tour RI Thanks To: Members of the Tour RI Committee From: David DePetrillo
  Congratulations to every team member of the “Tour Rhode Island: There’s No Place Like Home” committee for bringing national recognition for Rhode Island by winning a prestigious Odyssey award from the Travel Industry Association and National Geographic Society. We are particularly pleased that the award was won in the geotourism category, because this event spotlights the authentic experiences in every corner of Rhode Island. My nomination application stressed the great cooperation of every tourism region in the state—Blackstone Valley, Providence, Warwick, East Bay, Newport County, Block Island, South County, as well as AAA, tourism students, industry representatives to make Tour RI an amazing success story. Every one of you shares in the honor of this award. The attached release from the Governor provides more detail. Thank you for your hard work and dedication over the past four years, and for bringing this national honor to our state.
   

• 10/03/2007: Press Release on Place-Making - Sustainable Development Tourism Forum More
   

• 9/28/2007:
  Local boy makes good: Animator Lima gets tourism award 
  When contacted one day last week at his northern California abode, Kevin Lima claimed he considered himself the "Invisible Pawtucketer." The renowned Disney movie animator, writer and director can't refer to himself as such anymore. A "blown away" Lima, a 1980 Tolman High graduate, emotionally accepted the prestigious Blackstone Valley Excellence in the Arts laurel - not to mention a "key to the city" - during the 22nd annual Blackstone Valley Tourism Council banquet, held inside a packed Kirkbrae Country Club ballroom on Thursday evening. More

• 09/27/2007
  It all Started with Puppets  (Providence Journal Story about Kevin Lima)
  Kevin Lima, who grew up in Pawtucket, has gone on to have a long association with Walt Disney Studios, directing a string of hits — A Goofy Movie, Tarzan (co-directed with Chris Buck), 102 Dalmatians, the upcoming Enchanted — that would be the envy of many better-known Hollywood directors. More
   

• Disney Movie Director, Conway Tours & Journalists to be recognized by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council on September 27  More
   

• Spring 2007 (Cultural Tourism Heritage News)
  Blackstone River Valley Shares Success with Others: More
   

• 06/14/2007
  Blackstone River to get fish ladders By: Douglas Hadden, Times staff writer More
   

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

• 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