Southbridge History & More
February 6, 2009 Charette
WPI Students Engage Southbridge Residents in Sustainability Conversation
Home- and Business Owners Put Their Heads Together to Target Town's Assets
BY LORRAINE U. MARTINELLE
February 9, 2009
SOUTHBRIDGE -- Throughout the years, many groups have formed to find ways to better market Southbridge. All have been successful in continuing the "Southbridge Conversation," but none have sparked a significant change in the town's physical look and social offerings. After all, planning takes planning. Alas, the conversations to improve Southbridge have continued into 2009 with four students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). The team was successful on Friday, Feb. 6 in bringing together a group of residents and business owners, who engaged in discussions about what were Southbridge's best assets to promote.
The four WPI students – Michael Ashman, chemical engineering class of 2010; Albedith Diaz, electrical and computer engineering class of 2009; Stephen Lima, mechanical engineering class of 2010; and Dimitris Saragas, electrical and computer engineering class of 2010 – are conducting a required-for-graduation research project on finding ways to market the town of Southbridge's sustainability initiatives. The students' project, "Sustainable Southbridge," will be conducted through the first week of March. During the the Feb. 6 charette at Jacob Edwards Library's Pioppi Room, the students collected information about the community that they can use in their project. WPI Professor Dominic Golding introduced the charette. The students gave an enthusiastic presentation, which stimulated the thought-provoking break-out group discussion that was later held. Many residents felt the town's nature trails, diverse culture, restaurants, arts, education, and green energy were important to promote and focus on.
One of the project's goals is to create the basis of a Sustainable Southbridge marketing campaign and brand for the town. The students will document and develop comparative case studies of the Casella Recycling Center atop Pleasant Street, demonstrate and advertise the technology of the first green building in Southbridge (Memorial Hall on Main Street), and report the Slow Food movement and its certification process for a few restaurants (Hop Vine Cafe, Dark Horse Tavern, and The Vienna Restaurant & Inn). The ultimate goal is for the students to develop a brochure that town officials can use to market the town to tourists as well as to recruit companies that may be interested in setting up shop in Southbridge.
The Southbridge team is assigned to WPI's Worcester Community Project Center (WCPC). The students' research is being conducted as an Interactive Qualifying Project, or IQP, which is one of two projects required of students to complete their undergraduate education at WPI (the other is the MQP, or Major Qualifying Project). As part of the IQP work, all WPI students, working in teams under the guidance of faculty advisors, address a problem at the intersection of science, technology, and society. The projects are conducted either locally or at the more than 20 project centers WPI sponsors around the world. More information about WPI's Global Perspective Program can be found here: http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/GPP/ More information about the projects program can be found here: http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Projects/, and information about the Worcester Community Project Center: http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/GPP/Centers/worcester10.html
The Sustainable Southbridge students' faculty advisor is Chickery J. Kasouf, WPI's associate professor of management. The project sponsors are Margaret Morrissey and Gabriel McCarthy, who are behind the renovations of several buildings in Southbridge that have resulted in stellar transformations: 12 Crane St. complex (which boasts a concert hall, pub, restaurant, bakery, post office, and modern apartments, as well as private business offices), the Flat Iron building on Hamilton Street, which is home to the Sturbridge Coffee Roasters Café, an ice cream parlor, apartments, and other businesses, the Vienna restaurant and inn on the corn of Main and South Streets, and other projects.
Here's a link to a story I wrote in 2005 for the Southbridge Evening
News under my maiden name (Urbanski):
http://www.dickwhitney.net/SENArticle17May05ColorOfSuccess.html
WPI came to Southbridge through my connection to the university as its public relations specialist, the fact that my husband Nick and I are Southbridge homeowners, and my general love for the town. In addition, I also spent many years at the Southbridge Evening News, where I served as editor in chief through September 2006.
In spring 2008, I started speaking with WPI faculty about Worcester-based urban development projects that WPI students work on. I noted how Southbridge appears to be a smaller version of Worcester, with similar problems and attributes. I suggested that perhaps WPI faculty could explore the town to see if Worcester Community Project Center students could perhaps find a problem to tackle in Southbridge. I saw what WPI students have done to help the city of Worcester, and I thought they could do great things for Southbridge, or at least steer the town toward great things. Morrissey and McCarthy eventually ended up meeting with faculty members later in the year to discuss project possibilities, and thus, here are we are today.
I'll always have warmth in my heart for Southbridge, the good and the gritty. I admire the passion Southbridge residents have for their town and her history, but also for her future. A lot of people complain about Southbridge, and, to some degree, I've been at fault for that as well, but at the end of the day, there is tremendous potential here. Margaret and Gabe should be given many kudos for all of their hard work to move the town forward. The WPI students and faculty members should be applauded as well. Of course, none of this would be possible without the fabulous input of Southbridge residents and business owners. Bravo to all!
