By JON BAKER

PAWTUCKET — A few citizens and businesspeople in Pawtucket initially expressed shock upon hearing the news: that BusinessWeek magazine had declared their fair city as the best, most affordable “community” in which to raise children in Rhode Island – and one of the best in the country at that.

One man said, “You’ve got to be kidding.” Another exclaimed, “Seriously?”
Yes, it’s true, said the article’s author, Prashant Gopal, from his office building on the Avenue of the Americas.
“Obviously, it’s easy to find towns or cities around the nation that are affluent and who have great schools, low crime, terrific parks to bring children and the like,” Gopal stated via phone Friday afternoon. “But it’s more interesting to offer people information – given the economy – on finding places with a lot of amenities, and it still doesn’t cost a fortune to live there.
“Again,” he added, “the key word is affordability. Pawtucket’s the one in Rhode Island.”
According to Gopal’s article, published on BusinessWeek’s Web site on Nov. 7, “BusinessWeek teamed up with OnBoard Informatics, a Manhattan-based provider of real estate analysis, to come up with our list of each state’s best affordable (cities) for raising children … The most important factors in our analysis were school performance, affordability and safety. But we also gave weight to cost of living, air quality, job growth, racial diversity; and local parks, ball fields, zoos, recreation centers, museums and theaters.
“We knocked out towns with populations of fewer than 50,000 and median household incomes of less than $40,000 or more than $100,000,” he wrote. “We ended up with a list that included some well-known places, such as Phoenix, Columbus, Ohio, and Ann Arbor, Mich. But we also found some hidden gems such as Euless, Texes, smack in between Dallas and Fort Worth, which according to Sports Illustrated has the nation’s top-ranked high school football team, and Murfreesboro, Tenn., a college town outside of Nashville.”
Gopal noted it wasn’t a perfect list, as the survey’s population threshold of 50,000 people “limited our options in less populous states such as Delaware, Vermont and West Virginia,” he continued. “But our criteria helped us find ethnically- and culturally-diverse places with the kind of amenities that are more often found in population centers.”
Under the headline, “The Best Places to Raise Your Kids 2009,” Gopal listed Pawtucket, with a population of 73,612 and a median household income of $48,207. It also was described this way: “The mill city on the Blackstone River is becoming known as an artist enclave with the transformation of aging mills into artists’ lofts and studios.”
That’s been true for a while now.
He explained that Pawtucket – both affectionately and derogatorily referred to as “The Bucket” – received a “significantly” higher score than runners-up Warwick and Cranston, again with the most weight given to affordability and “green space.”
City officials enjoyed hearing the news of the ranking. Earning first-place status nationwide went to Mount Prospect, Ill., while Malden took the top spot in Massachusetts.
“We’re pleased by this, obviously,” said Michael Cassidy, Pawtucket’s Director of Planning and Development. “We’ve been working for 11 years now under Mayor (James E.) Doyle – and the previous mayor – on improving the quality of life in Pawtucket … The PawSox are a no-brainer when it comes to children and their enjoyment at McCoy Stadium, but we’re most pleased with the fact BusinessWeek looked at crime statistics, cultural diversity and recreational facilities.
“This city has the best in Rhode Island, in my opinion,” he added in reference to sports-type venues. “Look at Slater Park and its surrounding fields, the tennis courts and the duck pond. We also have the McKinnon-Alves Soccer Complex, and we’re one of the only communities statewide to have our own municipal ice rink. We also have the new playground at Slater, which we redid two years ago, and that has drawn rave reviews. We have people coming in with their kids from southeastern Massachusetts.
“When I found out, I was surprised, but – if you look at the parameters (BusinessWeek) pondered – they excluded smaller communities such as Barrington, Lincoln, North Kingstown, and they also looked at income. They’re saying, ‘If you want to raise a family, you’re middle income and you’re looking for an affordable place to do it, Pawtucket’s the place.’ I’m proud of that.”
Offered Chris Crawley, the Parks & Recreation Department’s assistant superintendent: “That’s wild! I’m surprised, very surprised, but it’s nice to see that all the work we do is recognized outside the city. You always hear about the bad things, but never the good stuff.”
PawSox President Mike Tamburro expressed thrill with the national recognition.
“It’s a well-deserved honor, and I know the city’s leaders have been working hard to win an award like this,” he stated. “I say hats off to Mayor Doyle, the city council and all of our political leaders. The Parks & Recreation Department has done a wonderful job with Slater Park and other sites; I think it’s something else for this little city, and we all should revel in it.”
When asked how his ball club had played a role, he explained, “I’d like to think we add to the quality of life in this city. It’s something we try very hard to do every day. We’ve built this operation around families and family prices, and there’s no bigger part of PawSox baseball than the youngsters. For that we’re certainly very proud.”
Gopal acknowledged school performance was a critical part in the magazine’s scoring, and Superintendent of Schools Hans Dellith explained his take on that subject.
“Obviously, our schools are significantly better, and (the ranking) is a feather in the city’s cap,” he said. “You have to keep in mind, the level of cooperation has been absolutely fantastic, and we’ve made tremendous strides. The Jacqueline M. Walsh Center for the Performing & Visual Arts is the highest performing urban arts school in the state, and it really has been a shining star.
“And Tolman, as of a year or two ago, was a Regents-commended high school statewide,” he added. “If you look at the test scores, Tolman beat out 60 percent of other (like) institutions statewide … I think the schools are doing very well, and this rank signifies that.”
When it comes to artistic-type endeavors, Herb Weiss, the city’s economic and cultural affairs officer, stated that the GAMM Theater and Mixed Magic Theater have “bent over backwards to bring that experience to Pawtucket students, and that enriches their understanding of the arts.
“That must have played a role in the ranking,” he said. “This doesn’t happen very often for the city, and it caught us by surprise. However, this is nothing we generated. This all came from BusinessWeek, and we’re extremely proud to be ranked.”