By JON BAKER

CENTRAL FALLS — Anyone who believes Edna S. Poulin, at age 68, isn't alert, witty or intelligent enough to run for the City Council's Ward 2 seat evidently doesn't know her very well.

“You're never too old,” grinned Poulin, relaxing at the kitchen table inside her cottage at 68 Notre Dame St. “It's only a number, and it's all state of mind. I believe I have a wealth of knowledge in business and on the municipal and state government sides.
“My view is that (councilors) are a rubber stamp for Mayor (Charles D.) Moreau, and they're not responding to the wishes of the taxpayers,” she continued. “I'm very outspoken, and I think I can win. I know I've got the qualifications. I don't believe the current councilman (Richard G. Aubin Jr., who she will oppose on the Nov. 3 ballot) is responsive to Ward 2 residents.
“In my travels, while knocking on doors, some people don't even know who he is. Others say they haven't seen him since the previous election. I've told them his name is Rick Aubin, and that I believe him to be in the pocket of the mayor.
“I think a councilperson should be an independent individual who votes on the issues, not on the opinion of anybody else. I promise I'll vote from the heart and mind. Nobody's always right and nobody's always wrong. If 100 percent of the votes agree with the mayor's take on something, that means you're not doing your job for the people.”
Poulin, who never before has attempted a campaign for political office, maintains she has an abundance of rock-solid qualifications.
From 1998-2006, before retirement, she was the chief of Worksite Wellness within the R.I. Department of Health, and — two years prior — acted as the state's Director of Labor. Between 1990-95, she worked as the Central Falls Finance Director under then-Mayor Thomas Lazieh.
Prior to that, she spent 28 years with Pawtucket's Union Wadding Co., the last 12-plus as the Director of Training and Personnel.
“When I was the plant manager at Union Wadding, I also was responsible for the Chicago plant,” she said. “All of those jobs involved budgeting, planning and managing personnel. I think that fits right in with having a council seat. I've been one of those very few people who religiously attend city council sessions, so I know what goes on.
“It's true that I've never held a political office, but I've been appointed to and served on a number of boards over the years,” she continued. “I was the first female president of the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce, and I'm currently the secretary of The Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees. I'm also a past president of the Pawtucket YMCA, and still on the board of directors there, as well as the Rhode Island Red Cross.”
Poulin stated she graduated from Central Falls High in 1958, and soon after took a job at Union Wadding. In the interim, she chose to attend “night school,” and received a diploma from the former Hubbard Business School in Pawtucket in 1961.
While working, “higher-ups” asked her to continue her education to climb the proverbial corporate ladder, and she picked the University of Rhode Island, finally earning a Bachelor's in business administration in 1971. Later, she gleaned a Master's in Business Administration from then-Bryant College (with honors) in 1983.
“When I was working, I was there seven days a week, and also going to school,” she offered. “I always had a project going. My whole life has been committed to doing something productive, and not sitting at home doing nothing.”
She stated she chose to oppose Aubin, also the Liquor Board Chair, in late June or early July, as she thought he would run unopposed. She thought the public deserved a choice.
“I don't believe he's done a good job of representing his constituents in Ward 2, or every resident of the city, and I've told him that,” she noted. “I don't think he asks the tough questions, in my opinion. I'd like to bring the city back to responsible government, and for it to be more transparent. I want everyone to know what's going on at City Hall – with the budget, with ordinances and resolutions, with planning, purchasing and development.
“I think we should have a plan for the future, which is something I don't see now,” she added. “It needs a capital program, where we put aside money for repairs to the infrastructure of Central Falls. That would include trash trucks, police cruisers, rescue and fire vehicles, our computer network … Like I said, I've spoken with people, and we talk about the boarding up of abandoned buildings, police presence in the neighborhoods and the cleanliness of the city, which needs work.
“I've also found that people are fed up with the current administration, and they want change. People are concerned, some downright scared, because all positions will now have a four-year term. They're worried about having the same old government for four more years. They seem ready for a change, a positive switch.”
Poulin, a lifelong city resident, indicated she would be fair, consistent, thoughtful, brutally honest and dedicated to her job as Ward 2 councilor, if – of course – elected.
She mentioned she attended a council meeting on Oct. 5, desiring (as is often the case) to offer queries about the city's budget during the public comment section. She claimed she was told by Council President William Benson Jr. that he wouldn't allow her to speak, as she was a candidate.
“I was taken aback,” she said. “I felt, during a public hearing and as a taxpayer, I deserved the right to be heard … After the meeting, Rick Aubin came up to me and said he didn't know that was going to happen, and he felt bad. I think that upset him, and I appreciated his comment.
“You know, when I looked to buy a home 35 years ago. I could've purchased a bigger one in Lincoln or Barrington, but I made a conscious choice to stay here,” she continued. “I was born and raised here, and I want to give back to the city that raised and educated me. I've got a great house and great neighbors. I wish the rest of the city could have the same feelings I do about it. I really like Central Falls, but I don't like the political environment here.
“The way I look at it, if I'm going to complain, I have to get involved and help cause change. I can't see moaning about something and then not get involved in finding an answer.”