Cranston Hall of Fame

The Cranston Hall of Fame Foundation is inducting five distinguished graduates of Cranston Public Schools at its annual dinner on Oct. 16 at the West Valley Inn in West Warwick. Tickets for this popular event must be ordered in advance by contacting the foundation’s secretary, Ann Volatile, at 401-942-9308. Tickets are $40 per person. The induction dinner is the foundation’s major fundraising event and is always well attended by family, friends and colleagues of the inductees, as well as past inductees. The class of 2015 inductees include Mr. Henry W. Archetto of Cranston; Mr. Raymond M. Daigneault of Pascoag; Mr. Stephen G. Dambruch, Esq. of Newport; Mr. James M. Manni of South Kingstown; and Mr. Arthur D. Martone of Cranston.

Tickets should be ordered by Oct. 2 to ensure attendance. Foundation president Frederick Vincent noted that applications for nominations to the Hall of Fame may be obtained via email at fjvincent27@yahoo.com, by contacting Volatile, or at the main branch of the Cranston Public Library.

Potluck dinner to benefit family

Taylor Josephine Theroux, 18, of Cranston, passed away on July 19. Her sudden death was a terrible blow to her parents, Jeannette and John, and her older brothers, Jason and Robert. Their loss was compounded by John’s diagnosis of cancer in late April. Since then, he has spent considerable time in the hospital and months at home receiving ongoing treatment. John is scheduled for several months more of intensive treatment before he and Jeannette can return to work and try to move on with their lives.

Although the family’s friends, co-workers and relatives have been very generous, the family could still use assistance. Members of the community are asked to consider attending a potluck benefit from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Eddie’s 529 Club, located at 529 Warwick Ave. in Warwick. The cost is $10 for a delicious potluck dinner and music. Raffles will include a 50/50, gift baskets, certificates for salons, bakeries and restaurants, and more. Food will be donated by Boloco, Mirabella’s Italian Cucina, House of Pizza, Chianti’s, and other local restaurants. Music will be provided by DJ Cobra. 

Those unable to attend the dinner but wishing to support the family may mail donations to Julie Brunelle, 100 Rodney Road, Warwick, RI 02889. Please make checks payable to John and Jeannette Theroux.

Yard Sale and Exceptional Craft Sale

The annual Yard Sale and Exceptional Craft Sale to benefit the Cranston Historical Society will be held at the Governor Sprague Mansion, 1351 Cranston St., on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (No early birds please. Rain date: Oct. 3).

The sale will feature clothing, housewares, games, dishware, books, decorative items and a showing and sale of unique crafts. Tours of the mansion will be available at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.  Proceeds from the sale will help the society to carry on its work to manage and preserve Cranston’s heritage and two historic properties: the Civil War-era Sprague Mansion and the Revolutionary War-era Joy Homestead.

To reserve a space to participate in the Exceptional Craft Sale, and for general information about the event, please contact Mary Mierka at 401-944-9226.

Taste of Pawtuxet Village

On Sept. 29, A Taste of Pawtuxet Village will be held featuring a sampling of food offered in the village. The event will be held in the Imperil Room at Rhodes Place from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and will feature food, wine and music. Tickets are $25 per person and a cash bar will be available.

This event serves as a fundraiser for the Friends of Pawtuxet Village and coordinated in conjunction with the Pawtuxet Village Merchants. Purchase tickets at either Cork & Brew and Spirits Too or Twice Told Tales or visit friendsofpawtuxetvillage.org.

Safety Day

On Saturday, Sept. 26, the Cranston Police Department, in conjunction with the Cranston Parkade K-Mart, will be hosting a Safety Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of the K-Mart garden shop. Fun activities will focus on child safety, including car seat checkups and bike safety.

Please come and meet the Cranston K9 officers along with the new four-legged members of the police department, Zeus, Blesk and Lex. The Cranston Fire Department will also be there, and the day will also feature a bike rodeo! The event will be held rain or shine. For more information, please contact School Resource Officer Matthew Davis at 401-942-2211, ext. 5107.

Corner Bakery hosting library benefit

Corner Bakery Café, located at 140 Hillside Drive in Cranston, will host a benefit night for the Cranston Public Library from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 29. No washing cars and no baking cookies – just join in for dinner and watch 20 percent of the pre-tax proceeds go to Junior Friends of the Library to help fund teen programs. For more information, call 401-464-4036.

Blessing of the Animals

On Oct 4, Edgewood Congregational Church, located 1788 Broad St. in Cranston, will hold the Blessing of the Animals. An outdoor worship service will be held at 10 a.m., followed by the blessing at 11 a.m. Defenders of Animals will be available to take pictures of your pet being blessed. The photo will be made available for a $10 donation.

Central Library resuming Sunday hours

Beginning Oct. 4, the Cranston Public Library’s Central Library will resume Sunday hours. The Central Library will open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. every Sunday until Dec. 20, with the exception of a holiday closure on Oct. 11. The Central Library is located at 140 Sockanosset Cross Road.

Knock down cystic fibrosis

Bowl for a Cure, a rock-and-bowl style event with a DJ, will be held at Lang’s Bowlarama, located at 225 Niantic Ave., on Oct. 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. There is a cost of $20 per person, which includes unlimited bowling and shoe rental. Children under five are admitted free. Rock and Bowl proceeds will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Tanzi to speak at Cranston East

Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi, a Cranston native and one of the world’s foremost Alzheimer’s disease researchers, is coming back to his hometown on Oct. 28 to benefit the Cranston Senior Enrichment Center with his presentation, “Ending Alzheimer’s Disease by 2025.” Tickets are $25 for general admission, and $125 tickets include a VIP reception and book signing. The event will be held at Cranston High School East, Tanzi’s alma mater. Call 401-780-6000 for more information.

Tour of the Providence Jewelry Museum

The Friends of the Cranston Public Library will host a tour of the Providence Jewelry Museum on Oct. 15 at 9:30 a.m. It is a “meet up” at the Providence Jewelry Museum for a tour by its president, Peter Di Cristofaro. The museum’s collection of historic costume jewelry and machinery spans more than two centuries. The museum is located at 1 Spectacle St. in Cranston. Registration is required by emailing friends@cranstonlibrary.org.  Include your name and the names of your guests, email, and phone number and indicate if you are currently or will become a member of the Friends of the Cranston Public Library prior to the tour.

It is advised that you reserve immediately, as the number of visitors is small. The cost is free for paid members of the Friends of the Cranston Public Library and $15 for non-members. Yearly Friends membership dues are $15 for individuals and $25 for families. To join the Friends, please fill out an application (available at all branches) and place your dues check in its envelope at any Cranston Public Library branch or on site at the Jewelry Museum on Oct. 15.

Bulky waste pickup

During the month of September, Cranston residents will be able to dispose of up to three large bulky items for free by calling Waste Management at 1-800-972-4545 and scheduling an appointment for curbside pickup. No items will be picked up if an appointment has not been scheduled. Bulk items that are not included in this program are mattresses, construction debris, TVs, electronic goods, white goods (major appliances) or any household trash/garbage that would fit into the city-provided 65-gallon trash bin.

Spaghetti & Meatball Dinner

There will be a Spaghetti & Meatball Dinner at Edgewood Congregational Church, located at 1788 Broad St., on Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. On the menu are spaghetti, meatballs, salad, rolls, hot and cold beverages, and dessert. The cost is $6 for adults $6, $3 for kids ages five to 12 and free for kids five and under. For ticket information, please contact 401-461-1344 or office@edgewoodchurchri.org.

Walk to Remember Alexis

Now in its fifth year, A Walk to Remember Alexis will be held on Sept. 26 beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the Park View Middle School field. There will be a bounce house, face painting, food, drinks and T-shirts at the walk.

Also on Oct. 2, there will be a Memorial Dinner at the Kelley-Gazzerro VFW Post featuring music, additional entertainment, and a Floating Lantern ceremony. Tickets are $15 per person.

For more information on either of these events, please call Stephanie at 401-248-8637, Jessica at 401-433-0276 or Theresa at 401-243-4202.

A league of their own

The Cranston Youth Girls Basketball Association, or CYGBA, is a brand new basketball league created for the girls of Cranston. “The league is being created to encourage girls of different age groups and skill sets to play basketball on their own terms, with their own goals who will, hopefully, develop a love of basketball,” said league director P.J. Thibodeau.

The league will focus on skill development and teaching and offer three levels of basketball play: Clinic, Recreational and Travel. The CYGBA has already begun receiving online registrations, and tryouts (by appointment once registered) will take place at the Peter Pastore Youth Center on Sept. 26, plus Oct. 3, 10 and 17 from 9 a.m. until noon. For more information, visit www.cygba.org or the league’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cygbl.

Mark Marella Memorial Scholarship Fund Golf Tournament

The second annual golf tournament fundraiser to benefit the Mark Marella Memorial Scholarship Fund for Cranston High School West will be on Oct. 19 at the Cranston Country Club.

It’s that time of year when we remember the passing of our family member, friend and fellow fallen Falcon, Mark Marella. The tournament will benefit the scholarship fund for a deserving senior at Cranston West.

The shotgun start is at 11 a.m. The cost per person is $80 for golf with a cart and includes a light dinner afterwards. Dinner will be a cocktail type menu with appetizers and pasta stations. The format for the outing is a Texas Scramble (best drive, then each player plays their own ball in), and there will be prizes for the winners.

Last year was a great way to get the scholarship fund in Mark’s honor up and running and was a great time to see many friends. They were able to give out a $2,500 scholarship in Mark’s memory this past May to West graduating senior James Vartanian, who was also honorably named the 2015 Ideal Cranstonian for the school.

Please feel free to join solely for dinner and drinks if you do not want to golf. The cost for a dinner ticket only is $25. Dinner will start at 6 p.m. It is a social cocktail dinner so you can show up anytime.

Please contact Tom Shor via email tshort76@gmail.com or by calling 401-824-6555 for more information or to book a group. They are also looking for any prize donations for the raffle! Gift cards, gift certificates are welcome. Anyone wishing to give solely monetary donations toward the scholarship fund can kindly make checks out to either Cranston High School West or the Mark Marella Memorial Scholarship Fund. Donations can be given/dropped off at the tournament dinner or mailed to: The Mark Marella Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Deana Golini, Cranston High School West, 80 Metropolitan Ave. Cranston, RI 02920.

Senior Guild meeting

Cranston Senior Guild will meet Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 1 p.m. at Tamarisk Assisted Living, 3 Shalom Drive, Warwick. The versatile Vini Ames will entertain us with songs and music. Following the entertainment there will be a meeting, raffle, and refreshments. All men and women age 55 years plus are welcome to join our group. Cranston residency is not required. Come meet other seniors and enjoy this organization, which was founded in the 1970s.

New Family Performance Series

Let us entertain you! Families are invited to join us for the new Family Performance Series, perfect for all ages, from the young to the young at heart. Hosted Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon from September to May at Theatre 82 & Café, located at 82 Rolfe Square in Cranston, the entertainment will include puppetry, magic, storytelling, improv, music and more! There is something new each Saturday, with performers and acts changing each week. Some upcoming performers include Jason Andrews Magic, Big Nazo and Sparky’s Puppets.

Pay what you can for admission, with a suggested donation of $5 for most performances. Check the website for ticketed events. Please visit www.artists-exchange.org for performance dates and the complete list of upcoming performers. For more information, contact 401-480-9477.

Sir Speedy wins award

Sir Speedy in Cranston, located at 969 Park Ave., recently received a Top 10 Sales Volume Award recognizing the business as one of the top ten in the worldwide Sir Speedy franchise network. Sir Speedy in Cranston ranked number 10. The award is based on 2014 annual sales revenue.

Sir Speedy specializes in the creation and execution of growth-oriented printing and marketing solutions for small- to medium-sized businesses offering robust digital and offset printing, integrated marketing campaigns, data and mailing services, signage, promotional products, graphic design, and online services that help companies advance their Web presence. Whether the client objective is branding, lead generation, customer retention, reactivation, cross-sell, upsell, or campaign measurement, Sir Speedy offers more ways for businesses to grow.

Sir Speedy has received numerous awards and recognition including the Franchise Times Top 200, Entrepreneur Franchise 500, Quick Printing Top 100, Printing Impressions 400, an AllStar Top 300 Award, a Franchise 50 Award and a Franchisee Satisfaction Award from Franchise Business Review.

Did You Know?

This year, fall begins on Sept. 23 for countries in the Northern Hemisphere (United States, Canada). The autumnal equinox is at 4:21 a.m. (ET) (Source: Fall Fun Facts)

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