Haga clic aquà para leer en español. Walking into La Fruta Loca, you’re greeted by rows of large stuffed bears lining the windows of the Central Falls fruterÃa and ice cream shop. I stopped by on a recent weekday afternoon, to talk with the shop’s owner, 51-year-old Lorena Vicente. Originally from Guatemala, now a U.S. […]
Central Falls
Posted inEconomy, En Español, Immigration, Local, Stories
‘La gente tiene miedo’: Temor de redadas de ICE aleja clientes de negocios en Central Falls
Click here to read in English. Entrando a La Fruta Loca, te saludan hileras de grandes osos de peluche que alinean las ventanas de la fruterÃa y heladerÃa de Central Falls. Pasé por allà una tarde reciente para hablar con la dueña de la tienda, Lorena Vicente, de 51 años. Originalmente de Guatemala, ahora ciudadana […]
Posted inEnvironment, Possibly Podcast
Are sewers the best way to deal with stormwater?
Paved surfaces like roads, sidewalks, and driveways send stormwater into our sewers, but engineering solutions that filter water through the ground can help keep our sewers and waterways clean.
Posted inLocal, Political Roundtable, Politics
Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera on housing progress, what’s next for schools, and why more Latinos are voting Republican
Maria Rivera made history in Central Falls when she won election in 2020 as the first Latina mayor in Rhode Island. Rivera does not yet face any announced opponents for re-election this year and she’s an up and comer in Rhode Island politics. During her time in office, Rivera has led the charge to build more housing, with a goal of completing 300 new units. Central Falls broke ground on a new high school last month and millions of dollars have been raised for a new community center. But the one square mile-sized city, like the rest of the state, still has a way to go in addressing its need for housing, better jobs and higher performing schools. Can Mayor Rivera make more progress in delivering these needs? Does she plan to run statewide in 2026? And what does this Democrat say about how more Latinos are voting Republican? This week on Political Roundtable, we’re going in-depth with the mayor of Central Falls, Maria Rivera.
Posted inHealth, Housing, Local
Why a Central Falls pediatrician decided to invest in affordable housing
Since Dr. Beata Nelken opened Jenks Parks Pediatrics in Central Falls in 2020, she has noticed a pattern. Many of the medical conditions her patients face can be traced back to the same problem: housing. “ ​I can treat your asthma, but how can I make a dent if you’re going home to a moldy kitchen […]
Posted inHealth, Housing, Local
To prevent lead poisoning, Central Falls is turning up the heat on landlords
Property owners filtered into the multi-purpose room in the Central Falls public works building on a hot September night, settling into plastic chairs. Attorneys for the city printed off dockets, stacked up manila case files, and set up a tape recorder, all in preparation for the monthly meeting of municipal housing court. Many of the […]
Posted inArticle, Politics
‘I need to set the example’: Maria Rivera on her unexpected journey to becoming the first Latina mayor in Rhode Island
Ten years ago, Maria Rivera was terrified of public speaking. Running for office wasn’t in the plan. But years later, Rivera found herself on the Central Falls city council, and in 2021 she was elected mayor of Central Falls – the first Latina mayor in Rhode Island. In this recent conversation with organizer and former city hall intern Lorraine Quintero, Rivera says she ran because she wanted to address the issues facing her community – issues she had faced herself.
Posted inEpisode
The Secret of Chiqui Versace
In this special episode of Mosaic, our podcast on immigration, we introduce Chiqui Versace: a Rhode Island resident who came to the U.S. at 16, looking for work and hoping to support his family back in Colombia. He also came here to be his true self – to not have to hide anything about who he is. From the outside, Versace lived what appeared to be a normal life. For decades he was gainfully employed, paid taxes every year, and volunteered his time for charitable causes. But to stay here, to live the life he had always wanted to live, he had to carry a very big secret.
Posted inArts And Culture, Artscape, Episode
Explore Hidden Sites In Pawtucket And Central Falls
Doors Open Pawtucket & Central Falls lets you go inside 10 places in the two neighboring cities that are usually closed to visitors.
Posted inArticle, Politics
Neronha Says Wyatt Investigation Is Focused On How Protesters Were Injured
The investigation into an incident at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls last week remains focused on how some protesters were struck by a pickup truck driven by a corrections officer and hit with pepper spray, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said Wednesday. About a half-dozen people were hurt when those events unfolded […]
