A wheelbarrow filled with beautiful memories

By John Howell
Posted 8/11/16

It may seem counterintuitive, but islands make for connections. Joan Messier, her niece Bethany Ross, and Bethany's wife, Rhea Logan, are discovering that since they adopted the island at the intersection of Sandy Lane and West Shore Road.

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A wheelbarrow filled with beautiful memories

Posted

It may seem counterintuitive, but islands make for connections.

Joan Messier, her niece Bethany Ross, and Bethany’s wife, Rhea Logan, are discovering that since they adopted the island at the intersection of Sandy Lane and West Shore Road. The three are members of Team Meredith, a group formed more than three years ago when Meredith Ross was fighting a losing battle against lung cancer.

Meredith worked at Child Inc. for 38 years. She remembered the children in her care, and they remembered her. In a sense, some after completing the Head Start program never really left. Of course, they went on to kindergarten and to graduate from high school, and then, later in life, brought their kids to Child Inc. and to “Miss Meredith.”

Meredith never really left Child Inc., although she couldn’t work for extended periods during cancer treatments. As Bethany recalls, her mother would push herself to get back to work even though the medication and the cancer had physically drained her.

Meredith lost her three-year battle to cancer on Dec. 28, 2013.

About a year ago, Joan wanted to do something to remember her sister and called upon members of Team Meredith who had supported Meredith during her illness. She thought of adopting an island and starting making inquiries. Her search took her to the mayor’s office and then the Department of Public Works. She discovered that the woman who had adopted the West Shore Road and Sandy Lane island was having difficulty maintaining the island and was willing to turn it over to someone else.

The island was in a perfect location, as it’s not that far away from Child Inc. off Draper Avenue. Most motorists driving to the center would be taking the same route Meredith had taken countless times. Actually, it couldn’t be better situated. But Joan was in for a surprise.

After completing all the city paperwork, Joan set out to tackle the island cleanup followed by plantings on a hot summer day. In no time, Joan was in a sweat. That’s when a woman who lives across West Shore Road came over and suggested her son, Alex, might help.

“They’re the nicest people,” Joan said. “There was nothing but rocks and he did all the work.”

Joan and her crew didn’t stop with just a few plantings. She was given a wooden crate, which she used as a planter, by Sandy Lane Meat Market, and was able to pick up a wheelbarrow at the Salvation Army. She bought solar garden lanterns and a green reflective globe. Then, of course, she bought plenty of flowers and a couple of bushes to give the island some color this fall and into the winter.

The wheelbarrow has become the centerpiece and the memorable feature to the island. The team filled it with deep red geraniums. People were taking notice. Motorists commented on how nice it looks as they waited for the light to change and the team watered the plantings, which they do at least every other day.

“We were so surprised. People were giving us thumbs up when we watered it,” Rhea said.

Pictures of the island started appearing on personal Facebook pages, and questions about who was responsible for beautifying the island were posted on The Community of Warwick Facebook page.

Bethany says her mother would have loved the island. She’s certain it would have been one of her favorite locations on the Warwick “loop” trip she made of the city on an almost daily basis.

Now Bethany, Joan, and Rhea hope people who knew Miss Meredith will think of her when they pass the island and those who didn’t know her find it beautiful, as was Meredith.

Comments

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  • richardcorrente

    Thank you Bethany, Joan and Rhea for making our city more inviting with your memorial to your friend Meredith.

    If you start a trend of beautification and others follow we will actually attract visitors that will evolve into new homeowners and new taxpayers which will lower taxes on the rest of us. I promise, I will do my part as Mayor, to attract new taxpayers. We presently don't have "Welcome to Warwick" signs to attract new taxpayers. We will. (even the impoverished Smith Hill section of Providence has one). We don't have a "Welcome to Warwick" magazine to attract new taxpayers. We will. (and at no cost to the Warwick taxpayer because the advertising will cover the cost of printing) We don't even have any Christmas decorations. Actually we do, but Mayor Avedisian refuses to put them up. When I am Mayor, we will. We will even decorate those 6 wrought iron window boxes that adorn City Hall (and have been empty for years) to make it more inviting. Maybe, Bethany Joan and Rhea, you could start the volunteer committee for it!? Maybe we could even have a "Christmas Dedication" on December 28th, the anniversary of Meredith's passing. We can call this project "The Meredith Memorial Project" unless you have a better name. I think Meredith would approve, don't you?

    Please contact me at 338-9900. I would love to discuss it with you.

    Richard Corrente

    Endorsed Democrat for Mayor

    Friday, August 12, 2016 Report this

  • ddavejb

    I live on Conimicut Point and travel through that intersection everyday. I would also like to thank Joan, Bethany, and Rhea for making that island so beautiful. What a lovely tribute!

    Sunday, August 14, 2016 Report this