Woonsocket Spotlight: Studio Rhode Woonsocket Visits Mayor Baldelli-Hunt's Office
During the interview Baldelli-Hunt spoke about her early roots growing up in the city, about the challenges she saw in Woonsocket, and ways that she could help make it a better place.
“Woonsocket is a very special place,” said Baldelli-Hunt. ”It’s an urban community, but it has a flair of suburban living. The city has all the bones to be an extraordinary, phenomenal place.”
Baldelli-Hunt added, “You almost need to change the mind-set of the people who live in the community. There’s so much here, and it’s like the bud of a flower, and you’re waiting for it to bloom, but you need people to recognize that it’s a rose, it’s not the thorns. It’s sort of like having faith in the underdog, and I always like the underdog, because I always think the underdog has great drive, great potential. That’s what I feel about the city of Woonsocket.”
When asked about her own personal challenges to living in Woonsocket, Baldelli-Hunt noted that she didn’t see any. In fact, she saw nothing except for benefits, especially when she spoke about how her children grew up being unsheltered in a community like Woonsocket’s that is ethnically diverse.
“Woonsocket is the real world,” said Baldelli-Hunt. “Often times in a city where the majority of people are Caucasian, it’s a bit of a shock when they head off to college and see it’s a big world out there. I think there is a benefit to children growing up in the city of Woonsocket because they are exposed to a lot of walks of life and it’s a good foundation for them.”
Baldelli-Hunt said that one of her biggest challenges is to try to explain to people how important it is to promote their community. She felt that people tend to focus on the negative aspect before the positive.
“You have to find it within you to see the positive, and try to make it grow,” said Baldelli-Hunt. “The sooner people recognize, and understand that it’s that positive attitude will push our community forward, we will get there. I’m committed to continue to work to do that, because Woonsocket’s worth it.”
When speaking about the things she would like to see changed about Woonsocket, Baldelli-Hunt stated that she is hopeful that more people come forward, and stand by the leaders of the community. She expressed optimism that they might be able to help promote a vision of a better place.
“When people travel outside of the city, whether they are communities in Rhode Island, or they travel to another state for a vacation, you hear people come back and say, ‘Oh my good, what a great place it was. They have this amenity, or this attraction,’” said Baldelli-Hunt. “They have that because they have the courage, and the strength to make that decision, and move forward with that.”
Baldelli-Hunt closed the interview by remarking, “We cannot continue to remain elementary in our thinking, we really have to expand our vision. As mayor, I am hopeful that I can find people who are willing to do that in the future for the sake of our children.”
For more information, or if you are interested in participating in the "My Woonsocket Life" oral history project, you can contact Woonsocket Library Director Leslie Page at (401) 769-9044 and Assistant Library Director Margaret McNulty at (401) 767-4126.
