Erika Niedowski - Lincoln, Rhode Island - Dedicated Benches on Waymarking.com

Erika Niedowski is remembered with a dedicated park bench along the Blackstone River Bikeway as it passed through Lincoln, Rhode Island. She was an accomplished journalist - she earned a Pulitzer Prize finalist nomination, a civil rights and environmental advocate, and an avid cyclist.

A merit scholarship for Rhode Island high school graduates was established in her name. More than $25,000 was raised in her honor to support the Racial and Environmental Justice Committee in Providence, Rhode Island. Governor Dan McKee and the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources announced on October 19, 2022, the Erika Niedowski Memorial Electric Bike Rebate Program which provides $250,000 towards e-bike purchases for state residents.

The sturdy seat is constructed from a series of 26 curved metal slats arranged vertically between two cast iron arm and leg pieces. All components are coated in a solid green. The bench is set on a concrete slab and faces southeast, offering a view of the bike path along the Blackstone River and to the town of Cumberland on the opposite bank. A cast bronze plaque attached to the center of the backrest reads:

Erika Niedowski
10/4/1973 - 10/2/2020
Out riding and looking for turtles

The dedicated bench is about 1/3 mile north of Martin Street and shares a spot along the bike path near a harmoniously-related historic marker "Wasting a Waterway" recounting The Clean Water Act of 1972 and a major local cleanup effort called “ZAP the Blackstone”.

Where is this bench located?: The bench is on the west side of the Blackstone River Bikeway 1/3 mile north of Martin Street in Lincoln, Rhode Island. Who is this bench honoring?: Erika Niedowski

Visit Instructions:
To log this waymark you can take a photo of the entire bench. You may have yourself (Sitting of course) or your GPS in the photo. A photo is not required, but encouraged.

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