Central Falls, Rhode Island, Facing Bankruptcy

Article features photo of a mother and her son at entrance of 'shuttered' -- in Variety slang --  public library.

Central Falls, RI stares down 'painful' bankruptcy. (AP story in the Albany Times-Union, 7/10/2011)

Excerpt:    At the community center in Central Falls, the subsidized lunch for seniors is no longer being served. The pool has been drained. Health screenings have been cancelled. The locks to the building were changed last week, and not even the acting director is allowed inside.

The public library has gone dark too, a sign on the door at the top of the stone steps telling patrons to return books elsewhere — indefinitely.

Rhode Island's most distressed city is on the cusp of declaring bankruptcy — a relatively rare step for municipalities even in tough financial times. Since 1980, only about 46 cities or towns in the United States have filed for federal bankruptcy protection, and some of those petitions have been dismissed, according to James Spiotto, an attorney in Chicago who is an expert in municipal bankruptcies.

Last year, the state took over Central Falls — a city of 19,000 residents, mostly Hispanic, with an unadjusted unemployment rate of 15 percent — stripping the mayor of his keys to City

Related post:
Central Falls may reopen its library in the fall.  (7/6/2011)
Central Falls Rhode Island closes its public library.  (7/6/2011)