Cranston Chatter

Meri R. Kennedy
Posted 12/11/14

Yard waste pickup ending

The city has advised that Monday, Dec. 15 will be the final day for yard waste pickup this year. Service will resume April 1.

Menorah Lighting at City Hall

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Cranston Chatter

Posted

Yard waste pickup ending

The city has advised that Monday, Dec. 15 will be the final day for yard waste pickup this year. Service will resume April 1.

Menorah Lighting at City Hall

Residents are welcome to join Mayor Allan Fung and Rabbi Laufer at the annual Menorah Lighting in the lobby of Cranston City Hall on Dec. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Hanukkah in Pawtuxet Village

The lighting of the Village Menorah will take place at 7 p.m. Dec. 17 at the gazebo in Pawtuxet Park, with participants gathering at 6:45 p.m. Join them afterwards for hot latkes, gelt, dreidels and some Hanukkah songs led by Rabbi Yossi Laufer of Chabad of West Bay.

‘A Christmas Carol’

The Artists’ Exchange of Cranston is gearing up for another Christmas season with its production of “A Christmas Carol” from Dec. 11-20, with performances at both Theater 82 on Rolfe Square and the historic Park Theatre.

In addition, there will be a Holiday Gala on Dec. 20 from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet prior to the performance of “A Christmas Carol” at the Park Theatre. There will be appetizers from local restaurants and a catered dinner provided by Russell Morin Catering, as well as wine bar and craft beer by the Rapscallion Brewing. Additionally, there will be fancy desserts, coffee and tea stations, and live music and entertainment. There will also be a silent auction and VIP seating at the performance. Tickets are $75 per person.

For more information on scheduling and Gala tickets, visit www.artists-exhange.org or call 490-9475.

St. Paul’s trip to NYC

Join St. Paul’s Church for shopping, sightseeing or other holiday fun in New York City this weekend. The bus leaves St. Paul’s, located at 1789 Broad St., at 7 a.m. on Dec. 13 and returns at approximately 11 p.m. The cost is $45 per person, and includes transportation only. For more information or reservations, call 461-5734.

Warm Thy Neighbor campaign

The Rhode Island Good Neighbor Energy Fund (GNEF) has announced that its 29th annual “Warm Thy Neighbor” campaign is now well under way. Sponsoring energy companies have provided their initial grants to the Salvation Army, the administrator of the GNEF, so funds can be distributed immediately to help Rhode Island households in temporary crisis pay their energy bills. The fund’s 2014-15 campaign goal is to raise $500,000 and help 1,250 families.

The fund is the last resort for families who have not qualified for federal and state assistance programs. The GNEF campaign relies on the generosity of individuals, families and local corporations for support. Yellow donation envelopes are enclosed with energy bills through February to make it easy for anyone to make a donation. Those interested in donating to the fund can also text “WARM” to 41444 on their mobile phone, send a check payable to “Good Neighbor” to the Salvation Army, 34 Commercial St., Cranston, RI 02905 or visit www.rhodeislandgoodneighbor.org. The Salvation Army determines households who qualify based on specific income and family member guidelines.

Since its establishment in 1986, GNEF has raised over $12.3 million and helped over 42,750 families in need of temporary energy assistance. For more information about GNEF, contact the Salvation Army at 401-490-0240.

CHSW Winter Concert to help Child Outreach Zone Family Center

The band and choir at Cranston High School West will be performing in their annual Winter Concert at 7 p.m. on Dec. 16. The concert, which will be held in the auditorium at the school, will also serve as a voluntary drop-off location for donations to benefit the Child Outreach Zone’s Family Center, housed at Gladstone School. COZ supports all Cranston Public School elementary and middle school students in need, as well as their families during the holiday season. Donations of new, unused board games gift cards and/or monetary donations will be accepted at the door that evening.

'Kids, Cops and Christmas’

The Cranston Police Department is teaming up with Rhode Island State Police, the Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association and other statewide law enforcement agencies to collect new, unwrapped presents – individual gifts valued under $25 – to fulfill the wishes of underprivileged children from across the state. Many of these children are clients of Crossroads Rhode Island, Children’s Friend, Family Service of Rhode Island, Project Night Vision, Hispanic Ministerial Association of Rhode Island, Center for Southeast Asians, Mount Hope Neighborhood Association, the Multi-Cultural Center for All and the African Alliance. The goal of “Kids, Cops and Christmas” is to provide a positive holiday experience for these children and to show them that police officers are their friends and are in their community to help them.

The department is asking its officers, or any member of the general public that wishes to participate, to bring in an unwrapped gift to the office of Chief of Police Michael J. Winquist by Dec. 15. Once collected, these presents will be transported to the State House for a press conference scheduled for Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. in the State Room.

For more information, please contact the Cranston Police Office of Community Outreach c/o Capt. Vincent McAteer at 942-2211.

Academic News & Notes

Samantha Ricci of Cranston, a junior majoring in chemical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), recently completed an intense, hands-on research project in Boston. The project was titled Strategies to Improve Farm Labor Camp Housing Policy.

Two local WPI football student-athletes garnered Liberty League All-Academic accolades for their performance inside the classroom. Congratulations to Edward Caputo and Matthew Sabetta, both of Cranston.

For the second year in a row, a team from the University of Rhode Island’s College of Business Administration, including Brayan Dajer of Cranston, won the student case competition at the 30th Annual Minority Business Conference sponsored by the Boston Metropolitan Chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants. The event was held last month. Last year was the first time URI business students participated in, and won, the competition that until then had been dominated by Boston area business schools, including Babson College and Bentley University. Their second win this year was even sweeter, with winning team members receiving $350 each. The case study provided students with data to develop the most creative and effective plan to help a Paris-based company penetrate the African market through its subsidiary company. Student teams spent weeks developing plans considering everything from cultural differences to information.

Winter Wonderland coming to Praise Tabernacle

Praise Tabernacle Church, located at 330 Park Ave., will present “Winter Wonderland” on Dec. 19 and Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. The event is free of charge. There will be seasonal performances and live animals in a petting zoo, live music, drama, comedy, dance giveaways and concession stands. There will also be a matinee show on Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. There is no admission for any of the concert performances.

Melillo honored

The RI Hospitality Association has announced Anthony Melillo as Vendor Representative of the Year. Melillo is presently working with Sysco Foodservice Company out of the Sysco Boston facility as a marketing associate. He is also a proud member of the RI Hospitality Allied Council and a member of the James Beard Foundation. The award was presented at the 25th annual Stars of the Industry Awards Dinner on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at the Twin River Casino Event Center.

Aveda in Cranston receives award

Modern Salon has named the 2014 class of “Excellence in Education” honorees in its fifth annual program recognizing leadership and best practices among cosmetology schools. Aveda Institute Rhode Island of Cranston was chosen to represent excellence in the category of Technology & Facilities. Modern Salon Publisher Steve Reiss announced the honorees during the AACS (American Association of Cosmetology Schools) 2014 convention in Phoenix, Arizona, on Nov. 16.

Honorees were determined based on key criteria in each category, and grouped according to school size or number of locations. Two top honorees were chosen in each category; one individual school location, and a multi-location school organization. Small schools, large schools, chain schools and single units of chain schools are all represented.

“We received applications from a record-breaking number of cosmetology schools this year and look forward to celebrating all the 2014 Excellence in Education honorees and sharing their stories. It is truly a great time to pursue a beauty education and career, and the program at Aveda Institute Rhode Island exemplifies that fact,” said Modern Salon Editorial Director Michele Musgrove in a press release.

Did You Know?

The poinsettia, a traditional Christmas flower, originally grew in Mexico, where it is also known as the “Flower of the Holy Night.” Joel Poinsett first brought it to America in 1829. (Source: Christmas Fun Facts)

To submit your news from the community, e-mail Meri R. Kennedy at CranstonChatter@aol.com. Photos in jpg format are accepted and news can range from community events, promotions, academic news and non-profit events. E-mail today and see your news in our column in the Cranston Herald. Please include a daytime telephone number in case we require any further information. Be sure to check out our website at www.cranstononline.com.

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