Happy New Year From The Heritage Corridor!

All of us at the Corridor, commissioners and staff, want to wish our friends, partners and volunteers, a very Happy New Year!   This past year was full of excitement, much of it associated with an all-out effort to get a new National Park created. It almost made it in 2011. Although the park legislation was ultimately not included in the omnibus spending bill Congress passed in mid-December, that is not the end of it. Already, the sponsors of the legislation have vowed to continue the effort and succeed, however long it may take. So please stay engaged, and continue to share your views about a new park with the decision-makers! And don't forget to thank your Senators and Representatives for doing their best.

But, as important as the work related to a new park is, it should not keep us from recognizing all the work that still goes on, every day, throughout the Blackstone Valley: keeping historic sites and museums open even when times are tough and budgets keep shrinking; working with school kids and young adults to spread our story and develop new stewards; pulling out ever bigger tires from the river; still pushing for the WHOLE bike path to be completed; still pushing for a visitor center to be built in Worcester; and still getting more and more people out on the river, the bike path and the trails for some healthy outdoor recreation. We really do not just talk about history, we keep making it.

Thank you for all you do. We look forward to working together with you in 2012.