GaspeeDays 2017
May 2017 | A Special Supplement from Beacon Communications
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Gaspee Days • May 2017 •
• May 2017 • Gaspee Days
Parade Grand Marshal By PAM SCHIFF Being named the Grand Marshal of the Gaspee Day Parade is a big honor, one that Dennis DeJesus, Chief Executive Officer of Rhode Island Special Olympics, never expected. “Shocked is more like it. Growing up in Edgewood, I have attended the parade many years and just the community outpouring both on the Warwick side and on the Cranston side is amazing. It is a great honor and I will be accompanied by two great Special Olympics Rhode Island athletes: Henry Moretti and Christina Peacock. We are all excited,” he said. DeJesus graduated Cranston East in 1974, went to Rhode Island College in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education, with a concentration in history. He then worked in the Cranston It is a great honor and I will be Mayor’s office, then as Director of Parks and Recreaccompanied by two great ation for nine years. Special Olympics Rhode Island He also has worked for Rhode Island Resource Reathletes: Henry Moretti and covery Corporation, Federal Christina Peacock. We are all excited. Hill House, and from 2006 to 2009, he served as vice – 2017 Gaspee Day Parade Grand Marshal Dennis DeJesus
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Dennis DeJesus to be accompanied by Special Olympics athletes
president for advancement at Bishop Hendricken High School. Since 2009, DeJesus has been chief executive officer for the Rhode Island Special Olympics, providing year-round training and athletic competition for more than 3,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities while hosting more than 40 local, regional and state tournaments and competitions each year. He leads a staff of 10 full-time employees and two part-timers with an operating budget of $1.5 million. DeJesus was inducted as a member of the Cranston Hall of Fame at the 2016 induction ceremony. His brother, David spoke of “Denny’s” love and loyalty to all things Cranston. According to Erin Flynn, publicity chair for the Gaspee Days Committee, the Grand Marshal is selected by the Parade Committee led by the Parade Chair. GRAND MARSHAL – PAGE 14
Gaspee Days • May 2017 •
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In front of the parade By TESSA ROY Last February, Kasim Yarn was appointed by Governor Gina Raimondo to be Rhode Island’s first Director of Veterans Affairs in the new office that opened on Jefferson Boulevard in September. This month, Yarn was chosen to take on another historic role. In this year’s Gaspee Days parade, he will do the honor of bearing the Rhode Island Mace, which has been carried at the head of the parade since the first one in 1966. According to the Gaspee Days Committee’s history files, Brigadier General Hunter C. White Sr. commissioned the creation of the staff over a century ago when he was High Sheriff of Providence County. It was carried by former Warwick City Councilman Gerald S. Goldstein each year until the 1990s, when the task was passed along to “Mr. Gaspee” Milton Wrath. After Wrath, it was past President of the Gaspee Days Mark Russell who became the bearer. The mace has also been used by the High Sheriff of Providence County in inaugural ceremonies for the state’s governors since the swearing in of Governor Charles D. Kimball
in 1902. There have been only two exceptions, the first being in World War I when General White, its owner at that time, was with the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe. The second was in 2002 when “no one in the staff [of ] Donald Carcieri thought to ask for its use.” The committee’s history files also detail how the mace is made of “historic fragments of wood” that are “closely associated with the historical backgrounds of the state and the nation.” The eagle atop the mace previously topped a staff bearing a union battle flag and was carried through the Civil War. A part of the wood on the mace came from Governor Arthur Fenner’s homestead in Cranston, which the files say was built in 1680 and demolished in 1895. The committee’s files also confirm that part of the British revenue schooner H.M.S. Gaspee, which was burned near Gaspee Point in 1772, makes up a portion of the mace. The files say it’s “anyone’s guess” where General White got the wood for the mace, but
JUDGE WITH A MACE: Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice and former Warwick Mayor Francis X. Flaherty carried the mace in last year’s parade. (Beacon Communications photo)
Kasim Yarn
Director of Veterans Affairs to carry Mace that some might have come from canes carved in 1804 by Ephraim Bowen. According to the Office of Veterans Affairs, Yarn, an active-duty naval officer who retired May 16, 2016 after 20 years of service, is originally from Jackson, Mississippi. He enlisted in the Navy the “day after” he graduated high school. He began his “lifelong love affair” with New England during his first duty station in South Weymouth, Massachusetts. He was selected by the Navy to attend college and become an officer in 1995 while he was stationed at Naval Station Newport. A few years later, he graduated from Boston University, received his commission as a naval officer, and was deployed in the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf area of operations. Yarn later became an instructor at the Surface Warfare Officers School at Naval Station Newport. There, he earned a Master’s Degree in National Strategic Studies at the U.S. Naval War College. Since July 2007, Yarn has served on several deployments with the Navy’s Sixth and Fifth Fleets. He returned home to Rhode Island in July 2013 to become a faculty member
at the Naval War College. Yarn said he was chosen as the Committee was looking for a mace bearer who would “tie into the theme of the Gaspee Parade spirit.” Committee members reached out to Operation Stand Down Rhode Island, who then recommended him for the role, said Mark Russell, who oversees selection of the Mace Bearer, said he became the fourth person “entrusted with the job of leading the parade with the RI mace” several years ago, but decided it wasn’t for him after one year. “Gaspee celebrates the ‘the first blow for freedom,’ so I decided that while the mace is trusted to me, I was going to use it to recognize those who have fought to preserve that freedom and so I have been asking people from the military to take the lead,” he said. He added that he consulted with Eric Wallin, executive director of OSDRI, and they decided upon Yarn. Yarn said he is pleased to be fulfilling the role and said Rhode Island has played an “integral role” in American history.
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52
• May 2017 • Gaspee Days
FEATURING
nd Gaspee Days
CELEBRATIONS
52nd Annual Parade JUNE 10 • 10 AM
2017 Calendar of Events SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017 FIREWORKS & CONCERT Start the evening with “Junkfood Buffet” playing some favorites from 5-6:30PM 7PM - Warwick Symphoney Orchestra Bring a chair and picnic to Pawtuxet Park Fireworks at Dusk at Salters Grove Park. Sponsored by Warwick Tourism, Culture & Development Rain Date: June 4
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JUNE 10-11, 2017 COLONIAL ENCAMPMENT Pawtuxet Village gives visitors the opportunity to get a feel for colonial military life. Hosted by Pawtuxet Rangers, R.I.M. SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 2017 ECUMENICAL SERVICE 8 am at Trinity Episcopal Church 139 Ocean Ave., Cranston A non-denominational service, Music by the West Bay Chorus. ALLAN & EDNA BROWN 5K ROAD RACE Starts at 9:30 am on Broad St. Cranston to Narragansett Parkway To register go to www.gaspee.com 52nd ANNUAL GASPEE DAYS PARADE 10:00 am at Narragansett Parkway & Spring Green Rd., Warwick. Colonial fife & drum corps., drum & bugle corps & the Mummers.
SUNDAY, JUNE 11, 2017 SUNDAY IN THE PARK 12:30pm to 4:00pm Pawtuxet Park Music – 12:30 to 2:30pm GASPEE DAYS RAFFLE Take a chance on some great prizes while helping to defray the cost of the Gaspee Days celebrations. BURNING OF THE HMS GASPEE 4:00 pm on the waters of Pawtuxet Cove. Closing the Gaspee Days celebration with the symbolic burning of the H.M.S. Gaspee Find us on
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at Gaspee Days
@GaspeeDays
(((((((((((((((((( For more information on any Gaspee Days event, visit Gaspee.com
Gaspee Days • May 2017 •
Gaspee:
Celebration of Freedom
By PAM SCHIFF
H
I’ve lived in Cranston for more than 26 years, but pride myself on not being from Rhode Island. I was born and bred in Connecticut. But, I’ve adapted to many Rhode Island ways, I give directions based on Almacs former locations, I drink from a “bubbler” and I pledge allegiance to the Awful Awful. One thing though that I never understood is all the hoopla about Gaspee Days. Who would celebrate a ship being burned and by having a parade and cook outs? After listening to Cranston Herald Editor Jacob Marrocco talk about the history of the Gaspee and it being the flame that sparked the American Revolution, I decided to revisit. My husband, who is a history addict, was very excited to extol upon me the virtues of the Gaspee burning and the ramifications to the war. It dawned on me that Gaspee is not just about a ship burning, or a parade but about a community coming together to celebrate freedom. The Revolutionary War was fought for freedom, and even today as free as we are, we still continue to fight for others’ freedom, and do it as a community. We are the community of Edgewood, the community of Cranston, the community of Rhode Island and the community of the United States of America. Thank you Gaspee for reminding me how important freedom and community are.
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By JEN COWART I’m a native Rhode Islander, born in Cranston, but raised in Saunderstown from the age of five, down in South County, the southern part of the state. As Rhode Islanders know, we are the smallest state, with the ability to cover the entire state top to bottom in about an hour or two, and yet, traveling very far is often very overwhelming. Therefore, I had no memory of even visiting the Edgewood part of the state until I got my job with the Cranston Herald, covering the news that happens in the schools, and in the beginning, I had to use my GPS to find my way out there. A confession, I’m not sure I’ve ever been to Gaspee Days. “Aren’t there fireworks?” I asked at a recent meeting to plan for this section. “I think we’ve gone to those once. I seem to remember we might have gone to the craft show one year, too.” It seems many people don’t understand or have the appreciation for the significance of the burning of the Gaspee, myself included. With so many Rhode Islanders so connected to their own little corners of the Ocean State, oftentimes we miss out on other great opportunities elsewhere, such as this one. Throughout my years as a school news reporter in Cranston, I have had the honor of interviewing many of Henry Maine’s Gaspee Days Essay Contest winners. Maine teaches eighth-grade English Language Arts at Western Hills Middle School, and he is a life-long Edgewood resident who has a great appreciation for the historical event and the yearly celebration as well. Through these interviews, I have learned that Gaspee Days is more than just fireworks, more than just a three-day craft fair. I’ve come to understand that the burning of the Gaspee literally sparked the start of the American Revolution, right in our own backyard. If it were not for Maine’s student winners educating me each year, I wouldn’t have an understanding and appreciation of the historical significance of the event, or the knowledge of exactly what happened. I don’t remember learning about it in school, but if I did, it certainly didn’t stay with me the way other history lessons did, like that of the Boston Tea Party. You can read more in this section about Henry Maine and his passion for the history behind Gaspee Day. I am happy to know that his students will be learning about, and hopefully remembering for years to come, the historical significance of this event and the reason why we celebrate it today.
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KEEPING A TRADITION: David and Susan Dean will be joining about 1,500 others for the 5K Road Race on June 10 starting at 9:30 a.m. By JACOB MARROCCO It’s David and Susan Dean’s world, and we’re all just running in it. The couple has made their mark on the local running scene, running in nearly every edition of the Gaspee Road Race in honor of Allan and Edna Brown since the late 1980s and partaking in every single CVS Health Downtown 5K as well. Susan, 63, said that she takes her inspiration from her aunt, who ran well into her 80s. “I started running because of my aunt,” Susan said. “My aunt started running when she was in her 50s and I was in my 30s. When I heard about the Gaspee Race, it was just another race I wanted to try. Back when it was a 10K, it was 30 people or so. She’s in her 90s and she still walks a mile every day.” Nowadays, according to the race’s web page, about 1,500 people are expected every year. The Gaspee Road Race used to come with much less fanfare back when it was a 10K, which is just over six miles. Susan Dean believes its conversion into a 5K, which happened about 30 years ago, has helped participation considerably over the years. “I was really glad when they turned it into a 5K,” Susan said. “The size of it has really increased. There were maybe 30 people at first and now it’s more of an event than it used to be. It was never held the day of the parade, it was always the day after. It brings part of the community together for at least that day.”
David Dean, 67, got his start in the 1970s running along Blackstone Boulevard, until he and some of his friends started doing local races. Dean said that some people express disbelief that the couple keeps up their running schedule. His dedication has paid dividends, too. He said that he still fits into his original CVS 5K shirt from 25 years ago. “Our friends say, ‘You guys are still running? That’s unbelievable,’” David said. “It has a lot of different aspects than any other race. This race, because of the parade, because of the whole Pawtuxet event, makes it more special.” David also mentioned that the Gaspee Road Race helps him and Susan get in shape for the summer season after a long, brutal winter. They usually begin their training in April. “Gaspee gets us going again,” David said. “You can’t run outside in the winter because of the weather. It’s a motivator for us because it gets us ready for the summer and running season. The parade route is so much fun and kids are throwing poppers at you on the ground.” This year’s edition of the race will be no different than the last. It was take place before the parade at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 10. Anyone interested in registering can visit gaspee.com and click on the Events tab for more information.
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PAWTUXET PLANNERS: Col. Ronald W. Barnes and drummer Christopher Kenney discuss their project at the Pawtuxet Ranger’s Museum. (Photo by Tim Forsberg) By TIM FORSBERG For centuries, drummers played important roles during battles - from relaying officers’ orders with a series of special drumbeats that could be heard over the noise of war, to providing cadence for soldiers to follow and stay in formation as they marched. “Music was used in the Revolution and elsewhere not only as a moral booster and to keep step, it actually helped with maneuvers in the battlefield. Music and drum beats were used to do many different things in battles,” said Colonel Ronald W. Barnes, commanding officer of the Pawtuxet Rangers. Now, thanks to the efforts of Pawtuxet Rangers drummer and 17-year-old Pilgrim High School senior Christopher Kenney, visitors to Pawtuxet Village will be able to take a self-guided walking tour through history. For his senior project, Kenney developed a 12-stop walking tour that highlights points of interest throughout Pawtuxet Village. Along with a 10-page paper he wrote focusing on the Gaspee and how it continues to influence the
community today, he’s created a free tri-fold interactive brochure for tourists and residents. The brochure acts as a guide for walkers who wish to discover more about local landmarks with an approximately hour-long jaunt through the historic Cranston and Warwick neighborhood. “The big component I wanted to push with this project was community,” said Kenney. “To me, history helps me connect with the community.” Kenney joined the Rangers after his mother showed him an article in the paper asking for volunteers to join the organization following the Gaspee Days celebration. As a drummer in the school band, he thought his talents would fit in well with the company. He soon signed as a snare drummer and has participated in parades, ceremonies and community events since then. The Pawtuxet Ranger’s primary mission today is to perpetuate history by participating in school programs, parades, battle reenactments, encampments, ceremonial programs and more.
• May 2017 • Gaspee Days
DETERMINED DRUMMER: Colonel Ronald W. Barnes, commanding officer of the Pawtuxet Rangers, and Cranston Mayor Allan Fung join drummer Christopher Kenney, who recently developed a walking trail through Historic Pawtuxet Village. (Submitted photo)
Kenney approached Col. Ronald Barnes in November about his project idea, and Barnes agreed to be his mentor for the project. Together, they’ve spent numerous hours researching landmarks, designing maps and creating QR codes for the brochure - codes consisting of black and white squares, typically used for storing websites or other information, that can be read when scanned by a camera on a smartphone. The codes will provide additional information about each walking tour stop when used. All of the pictures in the guide were taken by Kenney, and the short write-ups for each location, including the Gaspee monument, Stillhouse Cove and Greene Cemetery, were written by him. Reception amongst community groups, such as the Pawtuxet Village Association and the Friends of Pawtuxet Village, has been very positive, with the groups hoping to obtain the brochure to hand out. So far, about 1,000 copies have been printed.
“What he did was create something unique for his project, but it’s functional going forward. This is something that has a legacy and can continue on and be used,” said Barnes. “I’m proud of him. He came and asked me to be his mentor, which I thought was great. I was happy to bestow any of the history knowledge to him that we could.” As the trail is a loop, walkers may start anywhere on the map. Kenney was sure to take benches into account along the path for rest stops. Plans are in the works to have the guide available for pick up at the Rangers and Gaspee Days Committee during the Gaspee Arts and Crafts event. They also plan to have some available at the Pawtuxet Boathouse, Twice Told Tales and the Rangers Museum. For more information or for those interested in becoming a member of the Pawtuxet Rangers, email the organization at pawtuxetrangers@aol.com.
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Gaspee Days • May 2017 • 10
Growing up with Gaspee Parades were part of childhood for Western Hill teacher who now makes local history part of classroom By JEN COWART Western Hills Middle School teacher, Henry Maine teaches eighth-grade English Language Arts. Each year he offers his students the opportunity to enter the Gaspee Days essay contest with an essay they’ve written about the event, using the prompt provided by the contest organizers. Oftentimes over the past many years, Maine’s class produces a winner, and the winner of the contest has the honor of riding in the car with the Grand Marshal of the parade that will be held June 10th. Gaspee Days has played an important part in Maine’s life, both because of his being raised in the Edgewood section of Cranston, and his passion for the history behind the event itself. “I’ve lived in the area pretty much all my life. I grew up in Edgewood on Narragansett Street,” he said. “I went to Norwood Avenue School, Saint Paul School, Park View Middle School and Cranston High School East. The only time I didn’t live in Edgewood was during college.” Maine attended URI and first lived on campus, with stints in North Kingstown, Newport, Narragansett, and a semester in before returning to Edgewood after graduation and, for the past 25 years, living just five blocks from where he grew up. “I love my neighborhood. The demographics have changed quite a bit over the years, but the two things you can’t change are its juxtaposition to Narragansett Bay and its history. Edgewood and Pawtuxet village have a rich and fascinating history that is integrally important to both our state and our country,” Maine said. Reflecting on his memories of the Gaspee Days event, Maine remembers the annual parade as being a major highlight of the weekend. “As a child, it was always about the parade,” he said. “When the first modern Gaspee Days
Celebration took place, I was only two years old. I’m not sure if my parents took me, and if they did, I certainly don’t remember. One of my earliest memories of Gaspee Days was the year I climbed onto the roof of Pawtuxet Hardware to watch the parade. As it is always a packed affair, needless to say, I had a great view that year. The old Pawtuxet Hardware store is now the building that houses, Revolution American Bistro. In recent years, a small house was built on that very same roof and a friend of mine lives there. Since moving there, she has had viewing parties during the parade so, ironically, as many things often come full circle, I have viewed the last few parades from the same vantage point of one of my first Gaspee memories.” Maine remembers waving his red, white and blue, as the parade went past him each year.
Bring a Flag
“Being such a patriotic event, every year, I would make sure to visit the House of Flags to get a new flag to wave at the parade, everyone waved a flag in those days,” he said. “The House of Flags was located right on the parade route at the convergence of Post Road and Narragansett Parkway. Its latter tenants have included a health food store, a day spa and now Noon Design Shop.” He also remembers some of the earlier Gaspee Days events, which no longer take place, such as the carnival that was held in the parking lot of Warwick Shoppers World and First National, now Shaw’s and Ace Hardware. “It was like having a miniature Rocky Point right in your own backyard,” he said. Despite the changes he’s seen in the weekend celebration each year, Maine said that overall, the spirit of the celebration has remained true to its beginnings. “Since its inception in 1966, the Gaspee
LOCAL HISTORY: WHMS English Language Arts teacher Henry Maine works hard to educate his students on the importance of the Gaspee Affair, which took place practically in their own backyards. Each year he incorporates the event into his teaching and encourages his students to enter the annual essay contest. He often has students who win the contest and have the privilege of riding in the parade with the grand marshal. (Submitted photo)
HHHHHH Days Celebration has gone through many changes, with some events being successful and others not so much, yet the spirit of the celebration has not changed,” he said. “Being a community celebration, run by a nonprofit organization, the Gaspee Days Committee tries to put on events that commemorate the significance of the celebration and in turn are financially gainful in order to continue the important work they set out to do over fifty years ago. They do a great job with the help of many volunteers, donors and local businesses. As a child, Gaspee Days was pure fun. It was, and still is, a big event in a small community and everyone participated. As a child I actually marched in the parade as a member of the Junior Naval Cadets and as an adult, I rode in the parade with three of my students who had won first, second and third place in the Gaspee Day Essay Contest.” It is through that contest each year, that Maine tries to instill in his students an appreciation for what happened to the Gaspee and its importance in our colonial American history, as he realizes that so many adults do not realize the significance of the event, or even what actually took place at all. “Historically, the Gaspee affair was important for Rhode Island because the HMS Gaspee, a British customs schooner sent by
King George III, was taking away our livelihood, commercial trading via Narragansett Bay, and thus chocking our economy. As colonists, Rhode Islanders had enjoyed a great deal of independence due to the Rhode Island Charter granted to Roger Williams by King Charles II in 1663. When that independence was threatened, we took a stand,” Maine explained. “Admittedly, just like almost everything today, money was one of the primary motivations of the Gaspee affair. It was organized by wealthy Providence merchant John Brown, who had the most to lose from the Gaspee’s actions. Money aside, many of the Gaspee raiders were everyday sailors and local farmers and they did what they did out of principle. They wanted their independence. The fact that the Gaspee’s captain, Lt. William Duddingston, used harsh and even unlawful tactics to collect tariffs, didn’t help his fate.”
Gaspee Affair is underrated Maine believes that because Rhode Island often finds itself living in the shadow of its neighboring state, Massachusetts, that the burning of the Gaspee is underrated when it comes to historical recognition. Maine – Page 14
11 • May 2017 • Gaspee Days
Gaspee Days • May 2017 • 12
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WINNERS: Peg Berube and her daughter, Cynthia, were winners at the May 6 meat raffle hosted by Dean Scanlon and Revolution American Bistro in Pawtuxet. (Beacon Communication Photos)
TO PAINT THE STRIPE: Gina Cleri (pictured at top) sells tickets to one of the meat tables as Bryan Dooley stands ready to spin the drum at a recent meat raffle to raise funds to paint the parade route stripe and bring the Clydesdales to the parade.
By JOHN HOWELL It takes a lot of beef to stripe the route of the Gaspee Days parade. Just ask Dean Scanlon and Gina Cleri. They will tell you the beef, plus pork, lamb chops, sausage, veal and on and on weighs in at hundreds of pounds. And how does that add up to painting the red, white and blue stripe that runs down the center of Narragansett Parkway in Warwick and onto Broad Street in Cranston? Scanlon, who runs the Revolution American Bistro in the village, came up with the weekly meat raffles to raise the $5,000 needed to paint the stripe. He’s set his sights higher than the stripe, too. Scanlon sponsored the return of the Clydesdales in last year’s parade and he’s shooting to bring in $10,000 to attain both goals. It hasn’t exactly been easy, either. As of the six Saturday meat raffles, Scanlon and Cleri, along with the assistance of Bryan Dooley, who’s good at spinning the drum filled with tickets, the effort had raised almost $5,000. Some raffles, by the time Scanlon has bought the meat, cut it up and packaged it, some hardly worth it. One raffle raised less than $20. “We’ve never lost money,” Scanlon says, thinking of the bright side. But then Scanlon is always prepared to throw in a twist during the afternoon raffle such as a 50/50 raffle and tossing all the tickets into a bin for one final grand prize. Cleri said she has enjoyed the parades for 50 years and had no idea what it entailed until she joined the Gaspee Days Committee. “The budget is over $50,000,” she said with amazement. As for the raffles, Scanlon arranges them by tables with some of the choice cuts saved for
the third and final table. There’s an abundance of prizes with winners getting the choice of picks until the table is clean. There are lots of winners, too. “You can walk away with a pork roast or breadcrumbs,” said Cleri. Jerry Peshka and his wife, Pat, both of whom have been members of the Gaspee Days Committee for the past 32 years, were in attendance for the May 6 raffle. In his second year as president of the committee, Peshka knows what it takes to run the celebration and he’s seen how costs have increased. He said the budget last year was $161,000. Twenty years ago it was $50,000. “There’s so much people don’t consider,” he said, listing $12,000 for police details, $6,700 for porta-johns and thousands for performers. The two major sources of income are the road race and the Arts and Crafts Festival that each generate about $25,000. The balance comes from donations, events like those planned by Scanlon, food vendors, a Funny 4 Funds event that Pat planned and legislative grants. Warwick pays for the fireworks and the printing of event schedules. Cranston pays for 25 percent of its police details. But no one has taken ownership of the stripe. One year Mayor Scott Avedisian and Mayor Allan Fung faced off in a line painting duel to raise the money. Fung won the actual race, but it was Avedisian who brought home the beef with online donations. Peshka is delighted with Scanlon’s effort. It’s more than the money. Looking around the bar, he pointed out villagers with their raffle tickets laid out in front of them were joking and laughing and cheering on one another. It’s about bringing a village together.
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13 • May 2017 • Gaspee Days
Scanlon has no ‘beef’ with painting the parade stripe
Gaspee Days • May 2017 • 14
Village restaurants offer a parade of tasty treats By DON FOWLER Not only does the Gaspee Days Parade offer great entertainment, some of the best eating establishments in Rhode Island line the parade route. As the crowds line up along Narragansett Parkway, the marchers enter Historic Pawtuxet Village, where O’Rourke’s Bar and Grill greets them. The only restaurant on the Warwick side, O’Rourke’s patio is the perfect place to have a cold one, a sandwich, or their famous nachos made with crisp potato chips. Cross over the Pawtuxet River Bridge, where Warwick meets Cranston, and you’ll meet families waiting patiently in line for their ice cream cones, cups, sundaes and shakes from Dear Hearts. Make reservations at Rim Nahm for after the parade, where you can sit on the back porch, eat authentic Thai food, and enjoy the ducks swimming in Pawtuxet Cove. Across the street sits one of the best Italian H GRAND MARSHAL “Generally the Parade Grand Marshal is someone whom we can recognize as accomplishing things for the betterment of Rhode Island or even the nation. Sometimes they are local celebrities who we know our supporters will recognize and have fun with. Sometimes they are Military leaders or local folks who have accomplished great things,” she said. The Grand Marshal does not have a lot of responsibilities. In fact, Flynn says they are pretty limited. “They meet with the parade chair and the Gaspee Days president prior to the parade, possibly to discuss details. The day of the parade they need to recognize a float in the parade with the Grand Marshal’s trophy. They get to ride in the parade in a convertible set aside for them. The marshal and their family are invited to the reviewing stand to enjoy the parade,” she said. Riding along with DeJesus will be from Cranston, Henry Moretti and Christina Peacock from Warwick. Henry is 58 years old, and competes in bocce, golf, soccer and track & field. Christina competes in swimming and track & field and is 26 years old. Both athletes are excited to be in the parade, and offered warm and loving remarks about DeJesus. “The Gaspee Days Parade is a family tradition, I have been a Warwick resident my whole life and our family enjoys the Gaspee Celebrations and have enjoyed the parade since I was little. I have even participated in the parade
eateries in the state: Basta. Whether it’s a gourmet pizza, steak, fish or pasta, Basta knows how to do it right. Revolution, Fellini’s Pizza and the Elephant House all have inside and outside dining and can be enjoyed after the parade. Before the parade, especially for those who arrive early to stake out their spot, a must stop is Little Falls, where a cup of coffee, a scone, muffin or sticky bun is just what you need to start your day. If you watch the parade near the reviewing stand, stop at the hot dog booth run by the Shriners, where you’ll enjoy a dog with all the fixings, plus contribute to their charitable causes. If you’ve parked further down Broad St., stop at Poco Loco for a fresh taco, burrito or quesadilla. Many of the businesses along the parade route also set up temporary stands, where you can get a hamburger, sausage and peppers, etc.
when I was younger in the St. Rose of Lima floats. I am excited and proud to ride with Dennis and Henry to represent Special Olympics RI and to see everyone on the parade route. Dennis is always there with encouraging words for all of the SORI athletes. He encourages us to do our best and always has a smile for us,” said Christina. Henry also has a long and happy history with the Gaspee Days celebrations. “It means a lot to me to be part of the Gaspee Days Parade. I’ve been watching the parade since I was young and I know a lot people who march in it. It is going to be very rewarding to play a part in this year’s s festivities. The parade is a staple in the community it serves with all it has to offer everyone. I’m so honored and blessed to do it with great people, like Christina and Dennis,” said Henry. Henry, who has know DeJesus for many years takes the credit for getting Dennis connected to the Special Olympics programs. “Dennis and I have been friends for a long time and I’m the one that got him involved with Special Olympics. We were once board members together, when I was the first Special Olympics athlete to serve on the Board. Dennis liked it so much he was named Board Chair of Special Olympics RI. Now he is the CEO of Special Olympics RI. His knowledge of sports and business has helped him and he has the best staff in the country. Dennis is like family and the rewards of knowing someone like him is unforgettable,” said Moretti.
The patio at O’Rourke’s Bar and Grill
H Maine “The British occupied Boston, yet they also occupied Newport. There was the Battle of Bunker Hill and there was the battle of Rhode Island. There was the Boston Tea Party, but first, there was the Gaspee Affair. In the end, it was a victory for Rhode Island and for all the colonies, as it let to the formation of the Committees of Correspondence which led to the First Continental Congress and eventually the Declaration of Independence.” Maine works hard to incorporate this historical event into his yearly teaching plans and he works hard to connect it across disciplines, weaving together both social studies and English Language Arts in his teaching. “I currently teach middle school English but I am also certified to teach history and social studies and I have always had a love for history, especially local history,” he said. “As an English teacher whose main goal is to help my students improve their communication skills, reading, writing and speaking, I have the luxury of using many different topics to do so. Using historical texts and lessons as a basis for much of my curriculum not only achieves my goal of making my students better readers, writers and speakers, it also gives them a look into our past and bolsters the history curriculum. In middle school, many lessons are interdisciplinary so students have a familiar point of reference in each class and can make connections.” Each year, Maine checks in with his students first, prior to delving into the first Gaspee lesson, to see how much knowledge they already have about the event.
“I teach in western Cranston and when I introduce the Gaspee lesson, which I do via the Gaspee Day Essay Contest, I first ask my students how many of them have heard about the Gaspee. About half will raise their hands. After I clear up the confusion between the Gaspee and The Great Gatsby, only about two or three still have their hands up,” he said. “It blows my mind that children who live so close to such a big annual event, have never heard of it. It goes to show how segmented our communities can be. To give them a frame of reference, I tell them that it’s like the Saint Mary’s Feast of the east side of the city. That’s just talking about the annual celebration, the actual historic event that it’s tied to is even more of a mystery to them. So the lesson begins and they are enthralled, because it’s a fascinating piece of history.” Maine makes sure to emphasize the importance of the Gaspee Affair in history to his students through his lessons. “I tell my students how lucky they are to have such a rich history right in their own back yard. They don’t just have to read about it, they can actually visit it and see the places where these events occurred first hand. Most of them didn’t even know that there was a historical cemetery right in our school’s parking lot,” he said. His education and enthusiasm for Gaspee Days and the Gaspee Affair itself seem to be paying off for Maine and his students. “In the fifteen or so years that I’ve had my students participate in the Gaspee Days Essay contest, three times they’ve won first, second and third place and numerous times they’ve won either first, second or third,” he said. “Last year one of my students won first place. Contest aside, as long as they are learning, experiencing and ap-
15 • May 2017 • Gaspee Days
Summer Concert Series Wednesdays, 6:30PM-8:30PM At the Gazebo
July 5th
World Premier Band (Disco, Hip-Hop, Pop)
July 12th
Nancy Paolino & Black Tie Band (Pop, Motown, Oldies)
July 26th
Red Hot Horns (Soul, Pop, Jazz & Funk)
July 19th August 2nd August 9th
August 16th
Steve Smith & The Nakeds (R&B)
URI Jazz Band (URI’s 125
th
Anniversary)
Superchief Trio (New Orleans R&B)
Nicolas King with Special Guest Angela Bacari
(Jazz, Big Band, Standards)
Concert rain date is Thursday night – scheduled band performance may change due to rain date. 7SLHZL IYPUN H KVUH[PVU VM WLHU\[ I\[[LY VY [\UH Ä ZO MVY [OL **(7 -VVK 7HU[Y`
65 Shops, Services & Eateries Visit gardencitycenter.com for details I 401.942.2800 I Route 2, Cranston, RI 02920 I Managed by The Wilder Companies
Gaspee Days • May 2017 • 16