Central Falls City Hall

Office of the Mayor

580 Broad Street

Central Falls, RI 02863

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 28, 2020

Contact: Emily Rizzo, office: 401-616-2443, cell: 401-318-3788, [email protected]

Navigant Credit Union Helps Central Falls Revitalize Iconic Landmark

CENTRAL FALLS- Mayor James A. Diossa announced that Navigant Credit Union has provided the City of Central Falls a $50,000 grant to help fix the Cogswell Tower; iconic landmark in the heart of Central Falls’ Jenks Park.

The first phase of the Jenks Park Renovation includes Navigant’s contributions which will go to fixing the clock in the tower and to light the newly refurbished tower once it is completed. The project will include a complete restoration of clock by Antique Clock Restoration and the new lighting proposed will be able to change color depending on whatever event or holiday might be happening in the city through PRISM- Partnership for Rhode Island Streetlight Management.

“It is because of the involvement of organizations like Navigant and their investment in this community that we can tackle these types of large projects,” said Mayor James A. Diossa. “It will be so great to have the clock fixed in the tower that is the icon for our city.”

The work is set to begin shortly with an anticipated end date in the first quarter of 2021. Additionally, the ongoing overhaul of Jenks Park continues beyond the tower itself. The City received approximately $470,000 from the Rhode Island Office of Housing and Community Development to continue working in the park on the tower’s interior and exterior structure. A draft master plan will be available to the public on the redevelopment of the park soon as well as bid documents for other park improvements.

The City hopes to have all improvements completed in 2021.

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Three Roger Williams University Law School students — Michael Milas, Bodie Pate, and Michael Moorman — spent the past week working in the Central Falls Law Department and were joined on their last day for a “thank you lunch” by Mayor James Diossa at Central Falls' famous La Casona Restaurant. The students were participants in the Law School’s "Alternative Spring Break" program, which affords students the opportunity to spend their spring break providing legal services on behalf of the public interest.

Michael Milas is from Lincoln, Rhode Island and is a 3L at RWU Law. Milas works in real estate and contract law at Goodman, Shapiro & Lombardi, LLC and utilized those skills while working closely with Central Falls City Solicitor Matthew Jerzyk and Assistant City Solicitor Robert Weber over the week. Milas helped draft an ordinance requiring landlords to provide tenants with a written lease and also drafted an ordinance requiring all dumpsters in the city to be properly covered to prevent rats and keep the city clean. Milas also formulated a draft Rules of Procedure for the Central Falls Municipal Court.

Bodie Pate, who is originally from Valencia, California and is a current 2L at RWU Law, has an undergraduate degree in Biology and a strong interest in patent law. Pate spent his week at the Central Falls Law Department working under the supervision of Chief of Staff Josh Giraldo, Deputy City Clerk Alberto DeBurgo, Jerzyk and Weber to centralize all relevant board and commission members, past and present and all relevant enabling authority for each board and commission.  Pate then created a centralized database with all of this information as well as the requirements needed to become a member. Pate's work product will be used by Mayor Diossa and his team to recruit new leaders throughout the city but to also track and ensure greater diversity among board and commission members.

Colorado native Michael Moorman is a 1L at Roger Williams University School of Law. Moorman moved to Central Falls in 2014 and, prior to law school, worked for title companies and small law firms. Moorman utilized these experiences, along with the skills he acquired during his first year of law school, while working alongside Solicitor Jerzyk for the past week. Moorman spent the reviewing proposed contracts between the city and entities such as renewable energy companies and electronic scooter companies and offering contract amendments.  He also explored and wrote a legal brief on the viability of a community electricity aggregation based on a current program in New Bedford. Finally, he researched best practices among cities and states in incentivizing and building a maker's movement - including the success of Hope and Main - and explored the branding of the one-square-mile Central Falls as the "Maker's Mile."

"I want to personally thank these three law school students - Michael, Bodie and Michael - for tackling important projects in City Hall," said Mayor Diossa. "The students completed important projects that our team has had on our agenda but has not had the capacity to complete.  That is why we greatly appreciate the students and the Law School's Alternative Spring Break program: it gives real-world municipal law experience to the students, but it also adds significant value to our small city and our comeback vision."

Central Falls honored veterans on the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2018. 

PAWTUCKET – The new train station on the Pawtucket/Central Falls line might still be more than two years away from completion, but its status as a future certainty is already having a strong impact, with new residential developments going in and investors pouncing on properties in the neighborhood, say officials.

“This is a safe and family-oriented Halloween day event for the city,” said Tracey Giron, the director of parks and recreation in Central Falls, who added that in a city with such a diverse array of cultures, keeping things loose-ended is important.

Affordable housing units in Pawtucket and Central Falls - part of the Branch Blackstone project by PCF Development - are officially welcoming their first tenants. 

CENTRAL FALLS- The first female head of the city's Parks and Recreation Department, Tracey Giron is not timid about taking on new responsibilities. "I think that's something I feel really proud about. It speaks volumes... I feel like it shows as long as you're dedicated, you can really do anything," Giron said.

Navigant Credit Union in partnership with the Gloria Gemma Foundation and the City of Central Falls hosted the 5th Annual Celebrating Hope in Central Falls event on October 10th. The celebration included health information, healthy drinks, awesome raffle prizes, and much more. Many showed up wearing pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month; the event was a success and we look forward to hosting again next year.

Thank you to our vendors and providers, Central Falls Fire Department, Central Falls Police Department, Blackstone Valley Community Health Care, Gloria Gemma Foundation, Subway, La Casona Restaurant, YWCA, Mujeres Positivas de Central Falls, and The Learning Community for helping continue this wonderful event!

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City of Central Falls:
Samuel Ogundare
Office: 401-616-2443
Cell: 401-318-3788
[email protected]

The City of Central Falls welcomed all to their 27th Annual Car Show Held on Dexter Street

The 27th annual Central Falls Car Show featured 100 cars of all different makes and models. The event was held on Sunday, September 30 on Dexter Street and took place from 11 am to 3 pm.