Superintendent’s budget

The superintendent’s 2015-16 budget will be presented to the School Committee and the public on Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. at Western Hills Middle School. 

The committee and the public will have the opportunity to ask questions and to comment on the proposed budget on Jan. 26 and Jan. 29.

KDMF Writing Contest

The 2015 Katie DeCubellis Memorial Foundation, or KDMF, has announced the 12th annual statewide contest involving creative writing with this year’s topic, “Positive Change.”

Katie’s legacy lives on because her parents made the choice to use her tragic accident as an opportunity to bring about positive change. Those entering the contest are asked to take a negative situation and find a way to take the story in a positive direction. The negative situation can involve an accident or emotions such as fear or hate.

Bruce DeSilva, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who has also won the Polk Award, the Livingston Award and the Edgar and Macavity Awards, is this year’s celebrity judge.

The KDMF is also proud to announce that for the third year, AAA Southern New England will serve as the corporate sponsor for the contest.

Entries should be mailed to: KDMF Creative Writing Contest, c/o Joel S. Chase 300 Metro Center Boulevard, Suite 150A, Warwick, RI 02886

Entries must be postmarked by March 27, 2015. Complete contest details are available at www.kdmf.org. For more information, contact Joel Chase at 401-739-9900.

Winners will be notified two weeks prior to the awards ceremony, which will be held at the Warwick Mall on May 18, 2015 at 7 p.m.

Become a certified tax volunteer

The Cranston Senior Enrichment Center is looking for community volunteers to provide free tax assistance to qualified individuals during the tax filing season. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides free tax return preparation for low-to-moderate income taxpayers, seniors and people with disabilities.

Please consider becoming a tax volunteer. No previous experience is needed. The IRS provides free tax-law training and all materials needed. Hours are flexible. Volunteers generally serve an average of three to four hours per week from mid-January through April 15.

In Rhode Island, 453 volunteers prepared 18,193 tax returns at 73 VITA sites during the 2014 tax-filing season. Anyone can volunteer. It is an exciting and educational experience. Call Jane at 401-780-6217 for more information, or to sign up and become a tax volunteer.

Academic News & Notes

Congratulations to Carlin Testa of Cranston, who earned high honors at Pomfret School for 2014 fall semester. She is a member of the class of 2015.

Local Realtor helps seniors in need of home repairs

The Senior Real Estate Solutions Good Deeds Program is seeking applications from eligible seniors in need of home repair or maintenance. The Good Deeds Program was developed by Bruce Lane, a local Realtor with Williams and Stuart Real Estate in Cranston and founder of Senior Real Estate Solutions. Noting that some seniors could not afford the services needed for proper maintenance of their homes, Lane established a grant for seniors with limited financial means through Senior Real Estate Solutions, a free referral source for seniors looking for home maintenance and repair professionals.

“I founded Senior Real Estate Solutions because as a Realtor, time after time I would see homes that had been neglected simply because people didn’t know where to turn for trustworthy service professionals. The Good Deeds Program is a logical extension of that service. Repair needs that go unattended because of an inability to pay generally makes a problem worse and more costly in the long run. We’re pleased to be able to provide a service that is able to help some of the thousands of people on fixed incomes for whom home repair services are too expensive,” Lane said.

Those interested in receiving a Good Deeds grant should contact Senior Real Estate Solutions at 401-228-7800 or visit seniorrealestatesolutionsri.com. Eligibility rules apply.

Library holiday hours

The Cranston Public Library will have the following changes to its hours of operation over the holiday season. On Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, all library locations will be closed. On Dec. 28, there will be no Sunday hours at the Central Library. On Dec. 31, all library locations will be closing early at 5 p.m. On Jan. 1, all library locations will be closed, and on Jan. 4, there will be no Sunday hours at the Central Library.

Parent education dlasses at CCAP

Pathways for Parents is an eight-session parent education program designed to help people learn better parenting skills. Session topics include: The Importance of Family, Child Growth and Development; How to Have a Healthy Home Environment; How to Help Your Child Develop Values and Self-Esteem; How to Communicate With Your Child; Stress Management; How to Prevent Abuse/Protecting Yourself and Your Child; and How to Become a Healthy Family/Active Parenting.

The next session begins Jan. 13 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and all classes are held at CCAP, 311 Doric Ave. in Cranston. Please call 401-562-8348 for more information or to make a referral. There is a fee for classes, and a sliding scale is available. DCYF referrals, 005’s are accepted.

Mentors needed

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ocean State is continuing its drive to recruit male and female mentors for the 200-plus kids who are currently on the waiting list. Boys & Girls ages seven to 15 throughout the state of Rhode Island are waiting to be paired with a volunteer for six to eight hours a month for a minimum of a one-year commitment. For information, contact a BBBSOS match support specialist at mentoring@bbbsos.org or 401-921-2434.

Did You Know?

Norman Bridwell, creator of Clifford The Big Red Dog, passed on last week at the age of 86. Bridwell published the first Clifford book in 1963, landing at Scholastic after being rejected by nine other publishing houses. Ultimately, he wrote more than 150 books for the publisher, and more than 129 million copies of those books are in print in more than 13 languages.

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