Tag Archives for Janice McHale

Pawtucket to Celebrate its Own

Published October 11, 2012, Pawtucket Times  

            Making a difference in your community can be as simple as helping a family member, neighbor or friend who are in need of a little assistance.  Those simple acts of kindness can have far reaching effects that are not always obvious  – whether it be shoveling a side walk for a neighbor, donating canned goods to feed the needy, or volunteering for a nonprofit or civic group, are some examples of giving of ones self.     

             But some Pawtucket residents (or even former one’s, too) excel in their motivation to “go the extra mile” to making a positive impact on their beloved Pawtucket community. Enhancing their home town to strengthen its social fabric becomes their life’s mission.   Founded in 1986 to commemorate the City of Pawtucket’s 100th Anniversary, today the Pawtucket Hall of Fame has recognized 98 inductees, that include 18 historical figures, who have made an extremely positive impact in the Birthplace of America’s Industrial Revolution.  In two weeks, the following five inductees will join their ranks, to be recognized by the City’s Pawtucket Hall of Committee for 2012:

 A Voice for the Voiceless

             Semi-retired businessman and philanthropist Paul Audette brings his love for the City of Pawtucket with his detailed historical knowledge of the community, combined with 50 years of work experience. “He comes to the aide of those in need”, notes Patty Zacks, who nominated this 83 year old inductee.  “He never wants or expects to be recognized for his help,” Zacks adds. 

             “His actions [to help] are led by his heart and done for the right reasons,” says Zacks,  who believes that he has oftentimes been the ‘glue” that help keeps this community working together.

             Mayor Donald R. Grebien, notes “He is a self-described ombudsman for the City and has worked in many instances to insure that a potential new business can navigate its way through the “red tape” to become a successful Pawtucket business.

             Former President of the Pawtucket Rotary Club, Colin Murray, also recognized Audette’s efforts to help others.  “Because of his determination for making Pawtucket a better place to live and work, the Pawtucket Rotary Club awarded him the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow Award, the highest civic recognition that the civic group bestows upon a individual,” he said.

              According to Murray, Audette has been an advocate for the “voiceless” and has served as a volunteer ombudsman for the Alliance for Better Long-Term Care, was Chair of the City’s Affirmative Action Committee, and worked for decades assisting the down and out in the community, providing financial assistance and helping them navigate the State’s regulatory process.  Audette, a Pawtucket Rotarian, exemplifies the Rotary International’s motto, “Service Above Self,” Murray says.

         Murray adds that since 2006, as co-founder of a nonprofit group, Helping Hands, Audette has continued assistance to local organizations that help at-risk Pawtucket youth, the homeless, and the helpless.  Organizations receiving assistance include Cross Roads, Pawtucket Boys and Girls Club, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Pawtucket Salvation Army and the American Cancer Society.

Bringing Winter Wonders to Pawtucket

            Janice McHale and her good friend, Jean Stipek, of Pawtucket, will also become 2012 inductees into the Pawtucket Hall of Fame.

            Pawtucket resident Dawn P. Goff, who chairs the Winter Wonderland Committee, recognizes McHale and Stipek, for creating Pawtucket’s premier winter event. After experiencing a winter festival in California, McHale and Stipek presented their idea to Mayor James E. Doyle, who gave them the “green light” to organize a “Winter Wonderland” in Pawtucket. 

            For over a decade these two Pawtucket residents directed the efforts of a dedicated group of volunteers.  Goff noted that last year, Winter Wonderland turned 13-years-old, showcasing 425 lighted Christmas trees, along with 20 Victorian Houses sponsored by local businesses along with a number of lighted displays.  The two December weekends were jam-packed with festive holiday entertainment, Goff says.

            Winter Wonderland, drawing thousands of Rhode Islanders into Slater Park each December,  began with “two people who had a vision in 1999”,  Goff adds.

            Besides her activities with Winter Wonderland, McHale has served on the Pawtucket Riverfront Commission, the City’s Parks and Recreation Commission, in addition to the Grand Marshall of the St. Patrick Day Parade in 2000.    

America’s Legendary Jockey

            John “Red” Pollard rode into American history while overcoming physical disabilities, such as partial blindness in one eye and worked with intense physical pain caused by severe riding injuries that fractured his bones.  The man who rode Seabiscuit, humbly accepted his role in racing history.   As noted by local horse trainer, Nino Calabro “Red had a way with the horses..”. And Seabiscut was considered to be one of  America’s most recognized thoroughbred racehorses in the nation’s history.

             Attorney John J. Partridge who nominated the late Pollard, says “It is not often we can honor someone who lived a relatively quiet life while as a resident of Pawtucket, but was internationally acclaimed and twice memorialized in motion pictures, and more recently in a best-selling book [on the Times bestsellers list for a total of 42 weeks].”  Pollard, who in his later years resided at 249 Vine Street in Darlington with his wife Agnes, raised their two children, Norah and John in Pawtucket and worked at the Narragansett Race Track.  Today, Red and his wife Agnes’ final resting place is in the City’s Notre DameCemetery.

             Supporting this nomination, Mayor Grebien noted, “Between August 1936 and March 1940, Pollard rode Seabiscuit 30 times, winning 18 races including his final start in March 1940, the year the horse and rider won the San Anita Handicap and Seabiscuit was the nation’s top money-winning thoroughbred.”

             According to Mayor Grebien, Pollard was “an outstanding athlete himself in a very demanding sport, and mentored countless young jockeys who rode at Narragansett Race Track.”  He often provided shelter and a hot meal to many of the young jockey’s who needed a hand as they aspired to what Pollard had achieved as one of horse racing’s all-time best jockeys.”

          A  native of Alberta, Canada, Pollard was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1982, says Tom Cosgrove, Archivist. “His name will be forever linked to the days when thoroughbred racing, boxing, and baseball were the only sports in America that truly mattered,” states Cosgrove.  

             Terence J. Meyocks, of the Nicholasville, Kentucky-based Jockeys Guild, says that Pollard “holds a special place in Jockey’s Guild history because he was one of the founding fathers of the Guild in 1940.  He joined other leading jockey’s at the time including Eddie Arcaro, John Longden and Charles Kurtsinger, to create the Guild, which represents the health and safety interests of jockeys everywhere.”

 Unsung Civil War Hero

             Finally, Pawtucket resident, Dale Rogers, nominated Lt. Colonel Henry Harrison Young, who becomes this years’ Historical Inductee.  “Young distinguished himself and his unit throughout the war by furnishing excellent intelligence on Confederate troop movements and by oftentimes even donning Confederate uniforms to either kidnap southern soldiers or gather valuable information for General Sheridan. 

             According to Roger’s,  the Civil War veteran was dispatched at the war’s end to the Texas border to round up Confederate renegades who were making raids, where he lost his life in an ambush while crossing the Rio Grande River.  A statute was dedicated to this Pawtucket resident at BurnsidePark in Providence, (across from the Biltmore, near the skating rink), for his heroics.

             The Pawtucket Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony will take place on Friday, October 26th at 7:00pm. at the LeFoyer Club on 151 Fountain Street.  To purchase tickets ($30 each)  please call Rick Goldstein, at (401) 728-0500, Ext. 348. 

             Herb Weiss is a Pawtucket-based freelance writer who covers aging, health care and medical issues.  He can be reached at hweissri@aol.com.

 

Holiday event brings volunteer opportunities, cheer to seniors

Published in The Pawtucket Times on December 3, 2001

Jane Edwards plays the lead role of the set designer and seamstress.  Pawtucket residents Velma Jacks, Rita Kenney Anne Curry and Loraine Farley work as painters.  Bill Curry cuts out wooden signs and figures of Santa Claus, elves and reindeer.  Over the last couple of months, these six retirees have worked vey closely with 14 members of Winter Wonderland committee and others to gear up for the upcoming weekend’s kick-off of Pawtucket’s third annual Winter Wonderland Festival.

The holiday festival runs for three consecutive December weekends, on Saturdays and Sundays from 4 to 8 p.m., at Slater Memorial Park in Pawtucket.  The wildly successful Pawtucket festival that has attracted thousands to the Pawtucket’s largest park was first held in December 1999.  The year before, a visit in December 1998 to a California’s city’s annual holiday display was all it took to lifelong Pawtucket resident Janice McHale thinking about creating a similar event in Pawtucket.

The 61 year old, who had worked the past 38 years at Blackstone Valley Electric, then the past five years at its parent EUA Service Corp in West Bridgewater, remembered holiday displays at Slater Park in the early 1960s.  After a while, these displays just disappeared, she said.

Coming back to Pawtucket, McHale had made up her mind to bring back holiday displays to Slater Park.  “It could easily be done here in Pawtucket, and it would look good, too.” she quipped.

In spring 1999, a quick visit where she pitched her idea to Pawtucket Mayor James E. Doyle and Jack Carney, the city’s Public Works Director, resulted in the approval of her pet project.  City Council President John Barry III, along with City Councilors Don Grebien and Raymond “Chip” Hoyas, jumped on board too, strongly supporting McHale’s vision, a Winter Wonderland festival in Pawtucket.

While not committing coty funds, Doyle pledged in-kind support.  This assistance would come in the form of providing manpower and technical expertise.  The city’s project engineer, the late Frank Rendine, was sought out to design 18 two-story Victorian houses.  Staff in the Mayor’s Office and Department of Planning and Redevelopment would be charged with publicity, bookkeeping and raising funds.  Finally, Public Works and Parks and Recreation would set up the small Victorian Village and 100 Christmas trees and bring electricitiy to the site.

Scores of volunteer carpenters and painters from the community would ultimately build the huge three-dimensional plywood structures.  Most importantly, local businesses brought funding to the project, providing the seed money to begin the new endeavor.

Now in its third year, the Winter Wonderland Committee has evolved into a nonprofit corporation, headed by McHale, who is now retired.  The City of Pawtucket continues to be a major supporter of the holiday festival .  And Winter Wonderland continues to get bigger and better, McHale tell All About Seniors.

“This year you can see 200 brightly lighted Christmas trees, and enjoy more performers and vendors too”, said the festival organizer.

Like previous years, McHale notes that those coming to Winter Wonderland can still leisurely stroll through the Victorian Village, surrounded by hundreds of Christmas trees, and be entertained by carolers, bell ringers, clowns, puppeteers and musicians.  A large heated tend will again be the site for the festival’s entertainment.  Youngers can visit Santa Claus, and even take a ride on a large hay wagon, the popular R&D express train, or the carousel.  Of course, hot chocolate, hot cider and delicious food will be available in a food court.

Pawtucket resident Rita Kenney, who is in her 70s, has toiled tirelessly for months to prepare for the upcoming holiday festival’s opening.  The retired teacher and school administrator believes that the City’s Winter Wonderland festival has brought back some of the Christmas spirit to Slater Park.

Being a senior volunteer has its perks, Kenney says.  “You get to work with all ages and the experiences really reconnect you back to the community.”

To  become a volunteer or sponsor of the Winter Wonderland or to obtain a schedule of events call 726-3185.

Seniors Making Big Contribution to City’s Winter Wonderland Festival

Published in Pawtucket Times on November 26, 2001

Pawtucket residents Velma Jacks, Rita Kenny, Anne Curry and Loraine Farley work as painters. Bill Curry cuts out wooden signs and figures of Santa Claus, elves and reindeer. Over the last couple of months these five retirees have worked with 14 members of the Winter Wonderland Committee and others to gear up for the upcoming weekend’s kick off of the Pawtucket’s 3rd Annual Winter Wonderland Festival.

The holiday festival runs three consecutive December weekends on Saturdays and Sundays, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at Slater Memorial Park in Pawtucket.

The wildly successful Pawtucket festival that has attracted thousands into the Pawtucket’s largest park was first held in December 1999.

The year before, a visit in December 1998 to a California city’s annual holiday display was all it took to get life-long Pawtucket resident Janice McHale thinking about creating a similar event in Pawtucket. The 61-year-old, who had worked the past 38 years at Blackstone Valley Electric then the past five years at its parent, EUA Service Corp. in West Bridgewater, remembered holiday displays at Slater Park in the early 1960s. After a while, these displays just disappeared, she said.

Coming back to Pawtucket, McHale had made up her mind to bring back holiday displays to Slater Park. “It could easily be done in Pawtucket and it  would look good, too,” she quipped.

In Spring 1999, a quick visit to pitch her idea to Pawtucket Mayor James E. Doyle and Jack Carney, the City’s Public Works Director, resulted in the approval for her pet project. City Council President John Barry, III, along with City Councilors Don Grebien and Raymond “Chip” Hoyas jumped on board, too, strongly supporting McHale’s vision, a Winter Wonderland festival in Pawtucket.

While not committee city funds, Mayor Doyle pledged in-kind support. This assistance would come in the form of providing manpower and technical expertise. The City’s project engineer, the late Frank Rendine, was sought out to design eighteen two-story Victorian houses. Staff in the Mayors Office and Department of Planning and Redevelopment would be charged with publicity, bookkeeping and raising funds.

Finally, the Pawtucket Works and Recreation would setup the small Victorian Village and 100 Christmas trees and bring electricity to the site. Scores of volunteer carpenters and painters from the community would ultimately build the huge three dimensional plywood structures.

Most important, local businesses brought funding to the project, providing the seed money to begin the new endeavor.

Now in its third year, the Winter Wonderland Committee has evolved into a nonprofit corporation, headed by McHale, who is now retired.

The City of Pawtucket continues to be supportive of the holiday festival. And Winter Wonderland continues to get bigger and better. McHale tells All About Seniors: “This year you can see 200 brightly lighted Christmas trees, enjoy more performers and vendors, too,” adds the festival organizer.

Like previous years, McHale notes that those coming to Winter Wonderland can still leisurely stroll through the Victorian Village, surrounded by hundreds of Christmas trees, and entertained by bell ringers, clowns, puppeteers and musicians.

A large heated tent will again be set up to house the festival’s entertainment. Youngsters can visit Santa Claus, and even take a ride on a large hay wagon, the popular R&D express train, or the carousel.

Of course, hot chocolate, hot cider and delicious food will be available at the food court.

Pawtucket resident Rita Kenny, who is in her seventies, has toiled tirelessly for months to prepare for the upcoming holiday festival’s Dec. 1 opening. The retired teacher and school administrator believes that the City’s Winter Wonderland festival has brought back some of the Christmas spirit to Slater Park.

Being a senior volunteer has its perks, says Kenney. “You get to work with all ages and the experiences really reconnects you back to the community,” she notes.