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| Bill Honors Achievements of an Uxbridge Olympic Medalist from the historic 1936 Olympics in Germany |
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February 10, 2006 - As the eyes of the world turn this week toward Torino, Italy for the beginning of the XX Winter Olympic Games, a few elderly Blackstone Valley residents remember that one of their own made Olympic history many years ago. It was at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany that a 20-year-old Alice Bridges of Uxbridge attained a bronze medal in the 100 meter backstroke event. She was only a half second behind the gold medalist Dina “Nida” Senff, of the Netherlands and two-tenths of a second behind the silver medalist, Hendrika Mastenbroek, also of the Netherlands. “Although the focus of the sports world in these next two weeks will be on young athletes collecting medals in a variety of winter sports, it’s important to remember those who came before to help build the Olympic tradition,” said Senator Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge) as he filed legislation to honor his town’s contribution to the Olympic record books. Senator Moore and Representative Jennifer Callahan (D-Sutton) have introduced a bill to designate the bridge on Route 16 over the Mumford River in Uxbridge as the “1936 Olympic Medalist Alice Bridges Bridge.” The bridge site is located next to Capron Park, a feature of the state’s Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park. Although they admit it’s unlikely that Ms. Bridges, now Alice Bridges Roche of Port St. Lucie Florida, ever swam in the Mumford, the two lawmakers thought a bridge would be symbolic of an Olympic athlete who bridges national differences through competition in sports. Ms. Bridges actually trained at the Whitin Community Center pool in Northbridge. “The 1936 Olympics were especially historic,” the long-time Uxbridge legislator noted. “They were held in Munich, Germany at the height of Adolf Hitler’s reign. It was also these Olympics at which the famed black runner, Jesse Owens defeated German athletes to the consternation of the Nazi dictator,” he explained. “Alice Bridges was a star in one of the most historic Olympic events,” he added. Another Olympic footnote will be achieved once the bill is approved by the Legislature. It would be signed into law by Governor Mitt Romney, who was in charge of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. Once the legislation is enacted in Boston, a date will be set for the dedication of the bridge. The Massachusetts Highway Department is scheduled to renovate a section of the bridge sidewalk this summer as part of a planned reconstruction of Route 16 (Mendon Street). Mrs. Roche, whose niece, Carole McDonough, still lives in Uxbridge, will observe her 90th birthday on July 19th. A family gathering is planned in Florida on July 8th, according to Mrs. McDonough. |
