CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT
Gov. Gina Raimondo crowns Central Falls native Michelle Moreno-Silva, center, as the 2018 Rhode Island Cherry Blossom Princess during a ceremony at the Statehouse Friday. Moreno-Silva is a legislative correspondent for U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and is on track to graduate in May 2018 with a master’s degree in public relations and corporate communications from Georgetown University. Assisting, at left, is Ewa Dzwierzynski, a member of the Cherry Blossom Princess Planning Committee.
PROVIDENCE – There’s no more sure sign of spring in the Blackstone Valley than a drive down Roosevelt Avenue through Pawtucket and Central Falls as the cherry blossom trees are in full bloom.
After three nor’easters in as many weeks and with meteorologists forecasting a potential fourth major winter storm for next week, it may feel like spring is just a suggestion rather than a season. But inside the State House on Friday morning, there was a sense of spring in the air – even as mounds of snow were still piled up outside – as officials celebrated the crowning of the 2018 Rhode Island Cherry Blossom Princess.
This year’s princess is plenty familiar with the cherry blossom trees that line the thoroughfare that spans Pawtucket and Central Falls, as Michelle Moreno-Silva is a Central Falls native. She’s also the first Cherry Blossom Princess in the eight-year history to hail from the Blackstone Valley.
“I’m very proud to have this opportunity to go to Washington and represent our state,” Moreno-Silva said. “I’ve grown up here my entire life, I’ve seen successes and the beauty of the state. It’s triggered my passion for public service. It’ll be a great week and I hope to be the best ambassador.”
Gov. Gina M. Raimondo joked that while they were crowning a Cherry Blossom Princess, it didn’t exactly feel like the trees are about to bloom.
“Maybe this will usher in spring, finally, and blow away the snowstorm that’s coming next week,” Raimondo said.
With her crowning as Rhode Island’s representative, Moreno-Silva will next go to Washington, D.C. for the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, one of the largest spectator events in the nation’s capital. The 10-block parade, which steps off on Saturday, April 14 along Constitution Avenue, features giant balloons, floats, marching bands, celebrities, and live entertainment.
The festival and parade celebrates the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan and the continued relationship between the two nations. The cherry blossom is significant in Japan as it represents the fragility and beauty of life, as a reminder that life is beautiful but also short, as the trees bloom for only a short period of time. In Pawtucket and Central Falls, the trees traditionally bloom in April.
Rokuichiro Michii, consul general of Japan in Boston, said it was an honor to participate in Moreno-Silva’s crowning ceremony, extending his “heartfelt congratulations” to her on becoming Rhode Island’s representative to the national festival and parade.