Canoe & Kayaking Races in the Blackstone Valley

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May 20th (Tuesday)

May 20th (Tuesday) - QUINSIGAMOND RIVER (BLACKSTONE WATERSHED) - Quinsigamond River Paddle, South Grafton, 6:15 PM, sponsored by the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club <http://www.ricka-flatwater.org/bvpaddlers.htm> . Boat Rentals Available <http://www.ricka-flatwater.org/bvschedule.htm#Rentals:> . Meet at the Riverview Apartments put-in off of Route 122, approx one mile north of its intersection with Route 122A (there's a Cumberland Farms store at the junction). Follow the Riverview Apts. road 1/4 mile to end (it becomes a dirt road). Suitable for all levels of experience, and a couple of paddling options are available for this trip. Click here <http://www.ricka-flatwater.org/bvschedule.htm#May%20%202008%206:15pm> or contact Cheryl at StoneFoxFarm@juno.com <mailto:StoneFoxFarm@juno.com> or (401) 647-5887 for more info.

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Get All Wet - Race Down the River for the Blackstone River Watershed

The Blackstone River Watershed Council and Friends of the Blackstone holds their annual Riverfest Canoe and Kayak Race, on the third Saturday of May starting at 8:00am at the River Island Park on Bernon Street in Woonsocket, RI.

On site registration begins at 8:00 am the day of the race.

“The race brings all ages to the river for a day of fun.” says Keith Hainley, board member of the Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone. The race down the Blackstone River starts from River Island Park and Vernon Street in Woonsocket and continues 4.2 miles downstream to the park at Manville Falls in Cumberland. This race is for all ages and all categories of racers. Young and old alike, teens, fathers and daughters, moms and daughters, moms and sons, dads and sons, single lonely folks and others. Canoes and kayaks will be available for rent if your paddle is up the river. All racers must wear a personal flotation device so we can find you as you drift out of Narragansett Bay and head towards Portugal.

There is also a 10 mile race for serious racers that allows you to show off your big muscles when you turn around and paddle back upstream to Hamlet Avenue then back to the falls. This race will take place at the same time as the 4.2 race.

To register go on-line at www.blackstonefriends.org or www.blackstoneriver.org or call Arlene Gilpin at (401) 769-2257.

Along with the race, there will be an award ceremony at River Island Park honoring this year’s environmental award winners who are getting environmental awards because they did really cool things.For more information, contact Paul A. Roselli or contact John Marsland at 401-334-2153, field coordinator for the Riverfest Race.

The mission of the Blackstone River Watershed Council and the Friends of the Blackstone is to improve water quality along the Blackstone River and all of the tributaries along the river, maintain the river’s importance in the life and health of all Rhode Island’s citizens and to make the river canoeable, fishable and swimmable by 2010. The Blackstone River Watershed extends all the way from Paxton to Boylston, towns in mid-state Massachusetts, to the southern portion of Narragansett Bay.

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Running for a cause

Sunday, June 1, Twin River, 100 Twin River Road, Lincoln, RI and the RI Greyhound Owners Association present the 9^th Annual Rhody 5k Road Race to benefit The Tomorrow Fund, the Lincoln Days Committee and the Lincoln Greyhound Adoption Program.

Children and adults are encouraged to participate in this fun event. The race, dubbed the “New England Grand Prix Championship,” will follow a course around the gaming facility. Prizes will also be awarded to race winners.

Race registration starts at 8 am the day of the race, with the men’s race starting at 9:15 am, the women’s race at 10 am, and the kid’s race at 10:45 am.

For more information on this event, call Twin River toll free at 1-877-827-4837 x 8364 or log onto www.twinriver.com

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June 3rd (Tuesday)

June 3rd (Tuesday) - WEST RIVER (BLACKSTONE WATERSHED) - West River Paddle in South Uxbridge, 6:15 PM, sponsored by the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club <http://www.ricka-flatwater.org/bvpaddlers.htm> . Boat Rentals Available <http://www.ricka-flatwater.org/bvschedule.htm#Rentals:> . Suitable for all levels of experience. Naturalist Julie Riendeau will be leading this trip. You'll have the chance to see lots of wildlife as you paddle upstream through this stretch of clean, clear flatwater. The West River, like the Nipmuc River, has excellent water quality and is one of our rivers that is clean enough to swim in the Blackstone Valley. Directions: From 146 (North or South), take the Route 16 Exit. Take Rt. 16 East for 2 miles. You'll then pass through the Rt. 16/Rt. 122 intersection in downtown Uxbridge. Continue on Rt. 16 for 1 more mile. Look for a red building, Countryside Garden Center, on the left. Take a left onto West River Road, the street immediately following the Garden Center. Go approximately 200 feet and park in the gravel lot on the right side of road. Click here <http://www.ricka-flatwater.org/bvschedule.htm#May%20%202008%206:15pm> or contact Cheryl at StoneFoxFarm@juno.com <mailto:StoneFoxFarm@juno.com> or (401) 647-5887 for more info.

June 7th (Saturday)

June 7th (Saturday) - STATEWIDE - National Trails Day, sponsored by the American Hiking Society. Click here <http://www.americanhiking.org/NTDSearchResult.aspx?sId=22> for more info and to find out about events in your area.

June 7th (Saturday) - FRENCH RIVER - National Trails Day Trail Work and Party, 8:00 AM - Noon, sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Help the Corps freshen up its trails at Hodges Village. No experience needed or age limit. Tools provided. Meet at the Multiple Use Area off Clara Barton Road in North Oxford. Pizza party follows. Contact Park Ranger Ken Hester at kenneth.w.hester@usace.army.mil <mailto:kenneth.w.hester@usace.army.mil> or click on http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/recreati/hvd/hvdevent.htm <http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/recreati/hvd/hvdevent.htm> for more details.

June 7th (Saturday)

June 7th (Saturday) - FRENCH RIVER - Benefit Horseback Ride, 10:00AM - 1:00 PM at Hodges Village dam in Oxford, sponsored by the Bay State Trail Riders Association <http://www.bstra.org/> . Benefit ride along the French River corridor to raise money for trail projects. Click here <http://www.americanhiking.org/NTDSearchResultOrganisationDetails.aspx?NTDId=357> or contact Lynn Paretsky at (508) 476-7094 or lynnparesky@aol.com <mailto:lynnparesky@aol.com> for more info.

June 8th (Sunday)

June 8th (Sunday) - BLACKSTONE WATERSHED - "Down the Drain with Mass Audubon" , 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM, co-sponsored by the Broad Meadow Brook Sanctuary and the Blackstone River Coalition. Two sure methods to improve water quality in our waterways are reducing stormwater volume and recharging groundwater. On this van tour we'll scout out Worcester and the Blackstone Valley for such innovative low-impact development practices as rain gardens, pervious asphalt, vegetated swales, narrow roadways, and maybe a green roof! In-the-ground examples will give you ideas about how to reduce your own stormwater impacts. This program is part of the Campaign for a Fishable/Swimmable Blackstone River by 2015 <http://www.zaptheblackstone.org/whatwedoing/whatwedoing.shtml> . Click here <http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/catalog.php?code=588-BM08SP1&sancName=&getresults=long> or call (508) 755-8899 to sign up or for more info.

The Greenway Challenge

Each September, a triathlon is held for 100 teams, ranging from ironmen or women to multi-member teams. Go to www.greenwaychallenge.com for details or click here for great photos.

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