BY VINAYA SAKSENA

CENTRAL FALLS — Throughout 2008, Central Falls, like other communities, saw flashes of hope and opportunity amongst a barrage of considerable challenges, many of them at least partially attributable to a plummeting economy in Rhode Island and beyond

De-McDonaldization of Broad Street?
Right at the beginning of the year, there was change on Broad Street, as a defunct McDonald’s fast food restaurant was demolished after years in limbo. The Golden Arches were replaced by a new building that Planning Director Arthur Hanson touted as a new source of city revenue, with an attractive façade, featuring an Auto Zone location and a Dollar Store.
The McDonald’s demolition was just one example of ongoing changes along the Broad Street corridor in Central Falls, Cumberland and Pawtucket. Those changes were early parts of a major effort by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council to revitalize Broad Street, with University of Florida student Alex Sommer serving as coordinator of the project. And while the city remained a participant in the project, there were apparently some misgivings among the involved parties about the two new stores, with Sommer later encouraging a group of local students to question plans for available building spaces being allotted to chain stores rather than local businesses, which he said would keep the revenue local.

Sign of the (economic) times
As early as January, signs of the economic woes that would face the United States as a whole later in the year could already be seen in Central Falls, as Mayor Charles Moreau confirmed that the city would be taking drastic steps to reduce its costs, including a hiring freeze and possible furloughs. The matter would later lead to a contentious discussion between officials and firefighters at a city council meeting on the municipal budget. Moreau announced that the city’s lone new hire for the year would be a grant writer, to be paid via administrative fees from grants garnered for the city.
The mayor later revealed that the position would be filled by John Worsley, a man said by Moreau to have a solid financial background, who is also known as a jazz music columnist for the Times.
Rough times for Noury
Central Falls Personnel Director Gene Noury was in the news on more than one occasion this past year. In February, he plead no lo to a charge of reckless driving, stemming from a November 2007 incident in which State Police officers arrested him on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, first offense, and refusal to submit to a chemical test.
As a result, Noury lost his driver’s license for 90 days, and was ordered to perform 30 hours of community service and pay court costs.
In late March, Noury’s name was in the news again when a van driven by Central Falls resident Hector Solis, a longtime political rival or Noury’s, reportedly struck him near the intersection of Broad Street and Summer Street, near City Hall. Noury was reported to have suffered two broken legs, while Solis reportedly complained of chest pains. Solis was reportedly cited for leaving the lane of travel and no evidence of insurance. 
Holden their own
The Ralph J. Holden Community Center’s official re-opening was announced in mid-January, as renovations on the facility were completed. According to Channel One Executive Director Angelo Garcia, the re-opening came as the organization received a $150,000 grant from the Champlain Foundation. He also told the Times that Channel One was beginning to take a serious look at health and wellness issues, which would include stepped-up physical fitness program offerings and healthier meals and snacks for children participating in Channel One programs.
Responding to tragedy
In late April, city residents were shocked by two shootings in which area youths were killed. Following one of the incidents, 20-year-old Anthony Strobert, whose last known address was in Central Falls, was arrested on charges related to the shooting death of 19-year-old Pawtucket resident Helder Tomar. On the same weekend, Central Falls High School student Edelmiro Roman was also shot and killed, stirring considerable grief in the community.
Strobert was sentenced in December to 50 years at the ACI with 27 to serve and a concurrent sentence of ten years to serve after pleading guilty to charges stemming from Tomar’s murder. Roman’s murder remained unsolved as of press time. However, it did inspire Central Falls High School students and faculty to hold a major event in which students tied strips of cloth to rope lines outside of the school, with each cloth detailing a student’s wish. Many wished for an end to violence among students, while one student voiced the wish for Central Falls to be seen as other communities are.
The shootings and the resulting fear and grief in the community prompted Moreau to issue an executive order introducing a city-wide youth curfew. The idea appeared to face minimal criticism from parents, and was eventually fine-tuned and formalized as an ordinance by the council. Additionally, a summit for local youths was held in Providence to allow them to have input into strategies to curb youth violence.