During the day, mayors’ families will be able to take historic walking tours of the city’s East Side, a trip to Newport to visit the Breakers, sailing lessons at the Community Boating Center in Fox Point, as well as tour the Rhode Island School of Design Museum and the Roger Williams Park Zoo.

THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL — Providence May Host Obama, Biden at Mayors Conference
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
By Philip Marcelo Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE —Hundreds of mayors — and possibly President Obama — will visit the capital city in June for the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, an event that could mark the first appearance of the president in Rhode Island since the 2008 election campaign.

Mayor David N. Cicilline, a conference board member, will host the gathering of mayors on its first visit to Rhode Island in its 77-year history. President Obama, Vice President Joseph Biden and members of the Cabinet and Congress have been invited to the event, which is the largest annual gathering of U.S. mayors.

Elena Temple, spokeswoman for the conference of mayors, said the president has yet to confirm his attendance at the event. The annual meeting, which will be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center, is expected to be a major boon to the city with nearly 1,200 — mayors, staff and family — expected to attend. It also brings the promise of national attention as the meeting is where the conference outlines its policy agenda and elects new officers.

“It brings an enormous amount of national attention, so it’s an opportunity to promote Providence as a tourist destination and as an arts and culture destination,” Cicilline said Monday. “At a time when the economy is experiencing a downturn, it’s also an opportunity to help local businesses reach new customers.”

As of Monday, 270 people, including mayors, staff, and families had registered for the conference, according to Kibbe Reilly, a consultant hired by Cicilline’s administration to help with planning. The focus of the three-day summit, from June 12-15, will be how cities plan to use federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Other major themes of the meeting will be illegal guns and gun violence, energy independence, education and the 2010 Census.

While much of the meeting planning is done by the mayors’ conference staff in Washington, D.C., the city is responsible for evening events and day activities for the families of the mayors in attendance. Cicilline, who is also president of the partisan National Conference of Democratic Mayors, says the city has a schedule of family-friendly activities to encourage meeting attendees to extend their stay in the Ocean State. “We’re encouraging them to come early and stay late, to make it into a family vacation,” says Cicilline.

During the day, mayors’ families will be able to take historic walking tours of the city’s East Side, a trip to Newport to visit the Breakers, sailing lessons at the Community Boating Center in Fox Point, as well as tour the Rhode Island School of Design Museum and the Roger Williams Park Zoo.

Among the evening entertainment offerings for the estimated 400 mayors are a seafood dinner at the Bank of America Ice Skating Rink; cocktails and dinner at the RISD Museum; a circus performance and dinner at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center; and a barbeque and fireworks display at Roger Williams Park. They will also enjoy some fortuitously timed events, such as a WaterFire lighting on June 13, the Gaspee Days in Warwick, and the first annual Providence Art Festival in Downcity.

“Our events are in good shape because we’ve been planning them for a long time. I think they’re going to be pleasantly surprised,” said Reilly, a city-based consultant who worked with Cicilline’s administration to develop the new city slogan “the Creative Capital.” The total estimated cost of the city-planned activities is approaching $1 million, but they are being financed entirely through corporate sponsorship, according to Reilly, who says her salary also does not come out of city funds.

John O’Flaherty, Executive Director of CBC commented, “Community Boating is honored to be chosen to help showcase Providence to the US Conference of Mayors and Obama families — We even have a doggie life jacket ready for Bo!”

Community Boating Center (CBC) is a non-profit, 501c3 recreational organization offering all members of the community an opportunity to sail. Located in India Point Park, CBC provides outreach, sailing lessons and affordable access to the Providence waterfront. Gifts of cash or property to CBC may be treated as charitable donations for Federal Tax purposes.

For additional information contact:

John O'Flaherty
Executive Director
Community Boating Center
info@communityboating.com
tel: 401.454.SAIL (7245)

Obama photo: Martin Schoeller