For more than a century, Pawtucket was a gateway for new immigrants to this country. People came from Ireland, Canada, Portugal and the Azores, to work in the city’s factories. Today, the city’s new arrivals come mainly from Central America.
The number of Hispanic residents has more than doubled in the last twenty years, as they follow friends and family to the United States. But the city’s economic opportunities have changed drastically.
The Rhode Island Statehouse was once a bastion of anti-abortion sentiment. But not anymore. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott Mackay parses what’s changed.
Our One Square Mile series on Pawtucket continues with a look at the city’s ongoing effort to attract artists and related businesses. The aim is to spark a creative renaissance to help fill the economic void, and the vacant mills, left by the decline of manufacturing over the years.
The Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket is a former textile mill, now home to over a hundred and twenty small businesses.
The textile mills that revolutionized manufacturing in Pawtucket are now giving rise to communities of artists. It’s a new kind of creative growth in the buildings that were once hubs of industry. Ari Leo takes us inside the studio of one local artist at Hope Artiste Village.
Pawtucket City Councilor Meghan Kallman joins Political Roundtable to discuss the outlook for a better economy in that city; why she loves Pawtucket; and the arrival in RI of the state’s next education commissioner.
Pawtucket City Councilor Meghan Kallman joins Bonus Q&A to discuss a range of issues involving Pawtucket, including the impending exit of the PawSox, housing issues, the Police Department, and why more women don’t run for the City Council.
After weeks of scandals, On Sports offers congratulations to deserving teams and coaches.
The Blackstone River was instrumental in the settlement of Pawtucket. It was the reason people lived there. It helped power at least 100 textile mills that are largely responsible for putting the city on the map. What role does the river have today and in Pawtucket’s future? Around the country, cities have found investing in their waterfronts to be a key component of urban revitalization. Providence, for example, transformed its downtown back in the 90s. Is there a grand plan for Pawtucket’s river? Should there be?
Pawtucket was founded on the Blackstone River, where the water was the lifeblood of the early industrial town. Today the river has more of an understated presence, even though it wends its way right through downtown Pawtucket.
But there’s a lot going on, as three members of the Ocean State Bird Club found out one recent morning.
