Guest MINDSETTER™ Miller: What a Catch, Pawtucket
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Pawtucket has some troubled thoughts, and a self-esteem to match. Last week’s news of the Pawtucket Red Sox flying north in 2021 is only the latest in a seemingly non-stop series of blows to Providence’s scrappy northern neighbor.
Mayor Donald Grebien has shown himself to be the city’s relentlessly optimistic champion, vowing to find a loving tenant for McCoy Stadium after the Sox depart, as well as revitalize downtown, the would-be site for a new PawSox stadium. He’s taken more than his fair share of punches, as the Sox’s 2021 departure news came after the closure of Memorial Hospital – the city’s largest. He was at the helm when Pawtucket went down in an earlier round with the Sox, vowing to head to Providence before being denied by the state and coaxed by the Mayor to instead stay within the city limits.
Even with the Rhode Island Legislation dragging their feet for more than a year in crafting a funding bill, Mayor Grebien tentatively remained a vocal cheerleader for the team to remain in the city, communicating regularly with Paw Sox chairmanLarry Lucchino and the franchise owners.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIn the end, Rhode Island lost its arms race with Worcester, whom recently committed $100 million towards the relocation of the team. After their announcement, in which the team criticized the State of Rhode Island for torpedoing any chances for the franchise to remain, the owners praised Grebien for his dedication to the team, his city, and the State.
Under Mayor Grebien’s tenure, the City of Pawtucket has continued its transformation from a depressed mill town into a grounds-up center for arts, craft breweries, and startup companies – even with its given hardships. Throughout it all, the Mayor continues to champion Pawtucket as the greatest 9 square miles on Earth, and even with the news of the city’s most memorable past time leaving it behind, he was bold enough to stand up Monday and speak of a brighter future. Not even Britain’s David Cameron can attest to doing this in the wake of Brexit.
Don Grebien will be remembered as one of Pawtucket’s fiercest and greatest mayors, and as someone who residents will someday thank for the memories. Just as his predecessor Jim Doyle worked against all the odds to carve a thriving Pawtucket out of its old abandoned factories, Grebien will also be remembered for bringing his city back from the brink of darkness.
We will learn to live beyond the nightly summertime fireworks, post-game traffic jams, and late night drinks after games. Pawtucket will continue to produce greatness; legacies that outlive those who created them. Pawtucket is truly more than what it is currently known for, and the Sox will not be the last good thing about that part of town.
What a catch, Donnie.
Greg Miller is an editor at CTM Media, Johnson & Wales University Alum, and East Providence native.
Related Slideshow: Who Lost the PawSox? August 2018
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