Mulligan’s Island Family Movie Series

Mulligan’s Island is pleased to announce the new family movie series lineup for 2016. All movies are free, open to the public, and shown on a big screen at the Mulligan’s Island Event Center, located at 1000 New London Ave. in Cranston. The center opens an hour prior to show time, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Lawn chairs and blankets are allowed, but umbrellas, tents, coolers, food, and drinks are not permitted. Concessions are available.

Mulligan’s Island managing partner Michael Friedman commented: “After the great response we had last year from our initial movie night, we decided to put together a series of the top animated movies for families to enjoy together. We will augment these great movies with other fun activities, food options and special surprises to make it a memorable evening for the whole family.”

The movie series is presented as follows: “Despicable Me 2,” 8 p.m., Sunday, July 17; “Minions,” 7:45 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 7; “Inside Out,” 7:15 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 28; “Frozen,” 7 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 11; “Zootopia,” 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 25; and a “Surprise Movie Event,” 6:15 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 9.

All movie titles, movie night contests, dates and time are subject to change and are weather dependent.

Soma supports domestic violence victims

Donate your new or gently worn bras at the Soma Intimates boutique, located at 16 Hillside Road in Garden City Center, and change the life of a woman impacted by domestic violence. Bras collected support women at local shelters affiliated with the National Network to End Domestic Violence. The effort runs through Aug. 2.

St. Paul to host Day of Confession

Continuing with its series of special events to mark the Jubilee Year of Mercy, St. Paul Roman Catholic Parish will host a Day of Confession on Wednesday, July 20. Opportunities for parishioners and visitors to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available during three separate time periods to accommodate work and other schedules. The church is located at the intersection of Broad Street and Warwick Avenue in the Edgewood section of Cranston.

The first session will be from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., followed by 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mid-day confessions will be before and after the church’s regularly scheduled weekday 12:05 p.m. Mass.

“Whether it’s has been two weeks or 20 years since your last confession, mark your calendars and come experience the well-spring of God’s Mercy,” said Father Adam Young, the church’s Pastor, who quoted Pope Francis: “A special sign of grace in this Jubilee Year of Mercy is the Sacrament of Penance, in which Christ invites us to acknowledge our sinfulness, to experience his mercy, and to receive the grace which can make us ever more effective signs of his reconciling love at work in our world.”

5th Pagano Charity Golf Tournament coming up

The fifth annual Lt. Jim Pagano Foundation Charity Golf Tournament & Champions Dinner, presented by Cranston Firefighters Local 1363 and Sports Illustrated, will be held Monday, Aug. 8, at the Alpine Country Club. It will be a fun-filled day with golf, great food, raffles, silent auction, and good old-fashioned neighborhood camaraderie. For more information or to make reservations, visit jimpaganofoundation.com.

Proceeds from the event this year will be used to fund academic STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) programs in the community.

Senior outreach

The Cranston Senior Enrichment Center Social Services Division has announced outreach opportunities. The community information specialist is available to speak to organizations about programs and services offered by the center, as well as state and federally funded programs available for seniors. To schedule an outreach or to learn more about this service, contact Cindy Kolenda, community information specialist, at 401-780-6255.

One Act Play Festival

It wouldn’t be summer without Artists’ Exchange’s One Act Play Festival, to be held July 22-Aug. 13 in the intimate Theatre 82 black box in Cranston at 82 Rolfe Square. Community actors will perform 17 original one-act plays written by local and national playwrights whose works were selected from over 1,100 total submissions. The festival is broken down into two unique performance “Waves,” with Wave 1 running July 22-30 and Wave 2 running Aug. 5-13. Both are rated PG-13. Tickets are now on sale for $15 in advance at artists-exchange.org, by phone at 401-490-9475, or in person at Artists’ Exchange, located at 50 Rolfe Square.

Digging for clams and more

DEM’s Division of Fish & Wildlife, in partnership with local quahogger Jody King, will teach families how to dig for clams and focus on the history and value of clamming in Rhode Island. Pre-registration is required and is limited to children who are registered for the Pursuit. Participants should assemble at the park’s beach area. Call DEM for more information and registration. On Wednesday, July 20 at 6 p.m., gather at the Champlin Scout Reservation, 223 Scituate Ave. in Cranston, and on Sunday, July 17 at 10 a.m., gather at Rocky Point State Park, Rocky Point Avenue in Warwick.

Summer Concert Series

Cranston Public Library is pleased to announce that the free Summer Concert Series has returned to the William Hall Library. This series, sponsored by the Cranston Parks and Recreation Department, will offer weekly concerts on the front lawn of the library. Attendees are invited to bring their own blankets, chairs, and snacks. Concerts will begin at 6:30 p.m. Performers will appear as follows:

July 14, Branded (Country and Oldies, sponsored by Webster Bank); July 21, John Connor & the Irish Express (Irish); July 28, Phenix Avenue (Music of the ’60s and ’70s); Aug. 4, Gemini (Oldies)

Summer Concert Series announced

Garden City Center in Cranston has announced its Summer Concert Series, which will be held each Wednesday night at the Gazebo in July and August. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets, and donations of peanut butter and tuna fish are being collected for the food bank each week. All concerts are free of charge and are held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The lineup is as follows:

July 13, Front & Center (variety of pop, oldies, jazz); July 20, Neil and The Vipers (blues, rockabilly); July 27, World Premiere Band (pop, funk, dance); Aug. 3, Steve Smith and The Nakeds (rhythm and blues); Aug. 10, Down City Band (pop, soul, disco); Aug. 17, Timmy Maia Band (NYC high-energy contemporary)

Academic News & Notes

Emmanuel College recently celebrated its 94th commencement exercises on its campus in Boston. Graduating this year were Cranston residents Rachel Piccirillo, who received a bachelor of arts in communication and media studies and graduated magna cum laude; Kyla Burke, who received a bachelor of arts in communication and media studies; and Aria Maggiacomo, who received a bachelor of arts in communication and media studies.

Originally from Cranston, Princess Mark recently graduated from American University of Antigua (AUA) College of Medicine. AUA is proud of Dr. Mark’s significant accomplishment and looks forward to seeing her flourish in her medical career.

Congratulations to Gerry Manning of Cranston, who is a member of Marist College’s graduating class of 2016. Manning majored in accounting.

Bowl-a-Thon for Defenders of Animals

On July 30, take part in this year’s Bowl-a-Thon to benefit Defenders of Animals at Town Hall Lanes located at 1463 Atwood Ave. in Johnston. The donation fee of $20 per person includes two hours of bowling, a pizza, and a pitcher of soda for each lane. The event will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Mount Pleasant reunions

Mount Pleasant High School’s class of 1956 will be having a 60th reunion luncheon on Sept. 17 at Twelve Acres in Smithfield. Please contact Dodie Falvo at 401-231-2566 for further details.

Also, Mount Pleasant’s class of 1961 will be holding its 55th reunion on Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. at Twelve Acres. Tickets are $55 per person. Contact Sandra at smfleming2@yahoo.com or 401-792-8778.

Child Development Program

Attention, Cranston residents. Will your child be four years old by Sept. 1, 2016? If yes, CCAP’s Child Development Center is recruiting children for our 2016-17 Pre-K Program. Children eligible for this state-funded program are selected via a lottery. You may also be eligible for a free, federally funded preschool program. We are recruiting children in Cranston for our Head Start/Early Head Start programs. For more information, contact CCAP’s Child Development Center at 401-943-5160.

Combined class reunion

On Saturday, Aug. 13, beginning at noon, there will be a joint class reunion for the Cranston High School East classes of 1966 and 1981 at the Masonic Youth Center, 116 Long St., Warwick. There is no fee. Bring your own food and beverages. They will be celebrating their 50th and 35th year reunion, respectively. The events are for classmates and invited guests only. Richard Carlson is serving as the class administrator for 1966 and Glenn Carlson for 1981. Richard may be reached at 401-744-8635, or you may contact Greg Oden at 401-965-0983. Glenn may be reached at 401-641-8251. For further details, visit classreport.org.

40th reunion

The Cranston High School East class of 1976 will hold its 40th reunion at 6 p.m. on July 30. The event will be a traditional New England clambake held at Kempenaar’s Clambake Club in Newport. To sign up or for any questions, contact chsereunion@gmail.com.

Did You Know?

Mosquitoes are insects that have been around for 30 million years. They have chemical sensors that can detect mammals from 100 feet away; they have heat sensors to detect warm-blooded creatures; and they have visual sensors that detect movement and contrast in colors. The first activity of an adult mosquito is to mate. The females lay their eggs and then live from days to months afterward. The male mosquito dies within days after mating. (Source: Summer Fun Facts)

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