East Providence Is a Very Special Place to Live

I’ve lived near Hunts Mills and the Ten Mile River for over 4 decades now, and during that time I’ve enjoyed the simple pleasures of city-owned land---- walking near the river, flying kites on the green lawn, jumping off the rocks with kids and now grandkids, visiting the historic house and site of the early 20th century carousel, and hiking the trails through the woods and near the river. 

During all that time, the grounds have seen times of careful maintenance and times when tending the grounds seemed less of a priority. Sadly, in the past few years, little has been done besides cutting the lawn and cutting down dead trees.

Imagine my delight when a few weeks ago, I noticed that the gardens near the Hunts Mills waterfall had been cleared of overgrown bushes and weeds! It got even better when new plants and mulch appeared. So I was very happy to recently meet Joe and Janet, two city workers who are accomplishing great things at the passive park here. I met the two as they were working at the gardens near Hunts Mills entrance on Pleasant St. Broken fences have been replaced and things are looking up for this beautiful piece of natural space right here in EP on the Seekonk line. They praised the efforts of Rob Walker of the Highway Dept. and Donna McMahon of Recycling for helping to lead the effort. I hope such good things are happening or are in the plans for other parks in EP. We all deserve to have beautiful peaceful places near our homes and our natural areas deserve to be preserved and made accessible for all.

Going forward I know that Hunts Mills needs one more key element----new trees. Over the decades the once majestic trees that lined the road and covered the picnic area have succumbed to pests, disease and just plain old age. It’s time to plant for the future beauty of this plot of land and similar spaces in the city.

If the cost of trees is not in the budget, we should look into the way Pawtucket has funded the planting of hundreds of trees over the past 20 years. People pay the cost of specially selected trees and their early maintenance with work done by the city. The trees can be dedicated in honor or memory of someone special to the donor.

I want to sincerely thank Joe and Janet and everyone in city who are working hard to keep East Providence a very special place to live.

Pamela Goulet
East Providence