After 40 years, dedicated 'Senator Thomas Norton City Pier' opened to the public
FALL RIVER — It’s been 40 years since the Fall River Redevelopment Authority took four acres of waterfront property on the Taunton River by eminent domain.
And finally, after four decades of contamination clean-up, redevelopment and the expenditure of millions of state and federal dollars, the public on Saturday had access to the newly named “Senator Thomas Norton City Pier.”
The RDA board voted unanimously to name the City Pier after the long-serving public official and Fall River native last May.
And Norton, the namesake of the new waterfront public way, was on hand with family, friends and politicians he mentored to celebrate the honor.
Norton, a state legislator in both the House and Senate for 26 years from 1972 and 1998 and representing Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Westport and Freetown as an elected official, got more than a few laughs from a crowd of over 100 people attending the dedication.
He served as Senate Majority Leader for six years in the 1990s
“Sarah," said Norton, addressing RDA Director Sarah Page, “Can you tell your board to thank them very much, because I never got a unanimous vote in my life.”
Norton, a military veteran, noted the waterfront was home to the memorials to service men and women, and Battleship Cove was the place where people from other countries have taken their pledge for citizenship for decades.
“This waterfront is alive with the United States,” said Norton.
Norton the mentor
During the dedication, a few of Norton’s friends reminisced about the former elected official’s philosophies about dedication and public service.
“This is so appropriate,” said Congressman Jim McGovern. “Because he always recognized the potential of this city. And this is the potential of the city. This is beautiful.”
McGovern, who represented Fall River for 16 years in Congress before redistricting in 2012, said with the hostility and polarization in politics today, he would welcome more people in politics like Norton.
“Who ran for office not to bash an opponent or another political party, but ran for office to serve the people he cared the most about and to deliver for his community,” said McGovern.
State Senator Michael Rodrigues remembered the hours he spent with Norton looking for guidance as a new legislator, particularly with controversial issues that divided his district.
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“Mike, listen, on controversial issues you can’t walk down the middle of the road. You have to pick a lane, otherwise you’ll get hit by traffic going both ways,” said Rodrigues, who passes the wisdom to colleagues.
Longtime coming
For decades it was a contaminated pile of dirt with starts and stops of redevelopment with more than $10 million invested to have the city pier at the stage it's at right now, with walkways, fencing, lighting, and paths with a panoramic view of the city’s waterfront.
It’s been a project that Tracey Ponte has been watching since she moved into her apartment at Point Gloria five years ago and couldn’t be happier that it is finally opened to the public.
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On Saturday, as the dedication was wrapping up, Ponte and her grandchildren, Emry Bice, 6, and sister Winter Bice, 4, were running and playing around the four-acres of open space.
“I love the aspect of it and I love that they got to see this. They’ve seen it from the dirt pile and all the way to this. They love it because they can run around,” said Ponte. “This is absolutely beautiful.”
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: After millions of dollars and years of clean-up, city pier is opened
