Cranston Chatter

By Meri R. Kennedy
Posted 7/19/17

By MERI R. KENNEDY 112th Annual St. Mary's Feast this week The St. Mary's Feast will in held July 19-23 in Knightsville, Cranston. The feast features entertainment, rides, amusements and a variety of food and some craft vendors. It will be open Wed-Fri

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112th Annual St. Mary’s Feast this week

The St. Mary’s Feast will in held July 19-23 in Knightsville, Cranston. The feast features entertainment, rides, amusements and a variety of food and some craft vendors. It will be open Wed-Fri from 6 to 11 p.m.; Sat from 3 to 11 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 11 p.m. Sunday will also feature the Traditional Procession at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday beginning at St. Mary’s Church, 1525 Cranston St. The annual fireworks display will also be held on Sunday at 10 p.m.

New Hope Art Gallery Summer Exhibit

The New Hope Art Gallery’s Summer Exhibit opening will be on July 25 from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at the Michael A. Traficante Enrichment Center. The New Hope Art Gallery, at the Senior Center, is under the direction of Curator/Director, Ricky Gagnon.

Their volunteer staff including Assistant Curators Barbara Rosenbaum, David Koukol, Ted DiLucia and Refreshment Coordinators Lou and Zita Gagnon have been working hard to create a special show for their 2nd Anniversary at the Cranston senior Enrichment Center.

The Summer show will feature 400 pieces of art in many styles and media by 75 local, national, senior, special needs and student artists. The summer opening will also feature 15 tables of small original art items by artists and free live portrait drawings by Jack Lai. Come for a visit and enjoy a wonderful night of beautiful art, great music, and tasty treats.

The New Hope Art Gallery Summer Exhibit will run until late October and the regular gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except holidays.

Applications for Cranston Explorer Program

Applications for the Cranston Police Explorer Program are now being accepted! Our program is open to young adults ages 15 to 20, who have completed 8th grade, and will give Explorers the opportunity to learn police functions and participate in mock police calls, as well as assisting the Cranston Police Department in the community. They anticipate a competitive process so make sure the application is complete! Please note that the application period will be open through the month of July. It may be extended depending on the amount of applications.

Click on form.jotform.com/61716122704145 to begin your application. Please email Captain Vincent McAteer at vmcateer@cranstonpoliceri.com if you experience any problems or have any questions.

Garden City Concert Series

The Garden City Concert Series will continue at the Gazebo on July 19 the stage is set for Steve Smith & The Nakeds. On July 26 Red Hot Horns will perform, followed by the URI Jazz Band on Aug. 2. Superchief Trio will perform on Aug. 9. The series will wrap on with Nicolas King with special guest Angela Bacari on Aug. 16. All concerts are free and held at the gazebo from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Pop-Up Library coming to Cranston

On July 12, the Rhode Island Foundation announced the 30 recipients of this year’s Community Grants at a press conference. Among the attendees were representatives from Cranston Public Library, which was awarded $10,000 in grant funds for the development of a pop-up library.

This mobile library cart, designed and fabricated by the Uni Project, will bring library resources into the community by transporting books and seating to playgrounds, basketball courts, bus stops, farmers markets, shopping centers, and other community events and programs.

The mobile collection will be composed of books with a strong visual component and content that is easy to sample. While children’s books will be the focus of the collection, materials for adults will be available as well.

Once established, the pop-up library will be available upon request to community organizations hosting free events that are open to the public. For these special events, library staff members will be able to offer read aloud and kid-friendly activities catered to the theme of the event.

Expect to see this pop-up library around Cranston beginning Fall 2017.

Quidditch Tournament

There will be a Quidditch Tournament at the William Hall Library on Aug. 1 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Battle it out for House glory in the library's annual Quidditch Tournament! Kids will be Sorted into teams and play until only one winning team remains.

This program is open to children entering grades 4 to 9, registration is required. Anyone entering grades 10 - 12 can sign up to volunteer as Snitch-throwers, coaches, or alternates should the need arise. For more information contact epetrarca@cranstonlibrary.org.

“Country Nite” at the Cranston Senior Center

A special “Country Nite” will be held at the Cranston Senior Enrichment Center on July 28 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets are limited and are $10 each.

Coordinated by the Cranston Department of Senior Services’ RSVP Advisory Board and sponsored by the Texas Roadhouse of Cranston this will be a night to remember! 

Featuring Chris Monhollen, Nashville recording artist/songwriter/guitarist and a special appearance by Joanne Lurgio, RI singer/songwriter. 

Refreshments will be available, including beer, wine, soda and bottled water. Tickets may be purchased at the Center Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information call 780-6000.

2017 CCAP Chip for Charity 9 Hole Golf Tournament

The 2017 CCAP Chip for Charity 9 Hole Golf Tournament & Community Awards Dinner -honoring their Community Partners - Senator Jack Reed, Mutual of America and The Rotary Club of Cranston will be held on Sept. 14 at Harbor Lights, in Warwick Neck.

Neighborhood Health of Rhode Island is the Chip Charity presenting sponsor.

For information on sponsorship opportunities, golf registration or to purchase tickets, contact Lee Beliveau at 562-8353 or lbeliveau@comcap.org.

Take a chance to benefit the homeless

Mae Organization for the Homeless is celebrating its founder's birthday on August 15, by giving away $1,000. Spend just $10 for the opportunity to turn it into $1,000.

This is a virtual fundraiser, allowing anyone around the world to participate! All proceeds from this fun giveaway, will be going toward their holistic programs for our homeless clients. 

The mission of Mae Organization, Inc. is to operate on a Mind, Body, Spirit wellness program model which empowers and compassionately supports our homeless demographic through expressive arts and holistic modalities in the healing of mental illness and substance abuse.

Expressive Arts Programs in conjunction with clinical medicine have been proven extremely effective worldwide in hospitals and other healing centers in the healing process of aids, cancers, alcohol and drug abuse cases.

Mae Organization uses these holistic healing therapeutic modalities as their platform to work supportively and compassionately with our homeless clients in finding their inner voiceless child.

They are currently raising funds to purchase a transportation vehicle and open their Wellness Center. 

Tickets can also be purchased by visiting RI Dental at 1351 South County Trail, suite 120 in East Greenwich or by calling 206-1451 for additional ticket locations. You may also visit www.eventbrite.com.

Bowl-A-Thon to benefit animals

Sponsored by Defenders of Animals, a Bowl-A-Thon will be held on July 23 from 2 to 4 p.m., which includes two hours of bowling at Town Hall Lanes, 1463 Atwood Ave. in Johnston. The fee is $20 per person, which includes a pizza and a pitcher of soda for each lane. Call Defenders of Animals for reservations at 461-1922 or send an email to defendersofanimals@msn.com.

A Night of Intimate Worship

Praise Tabernacle, located at 330 Park Ave., will host an A Night of Intimate Worship on July 22 at 6:30 p.m. Music guests are Cherie Paliotta Adams and Joe Cantone of Cranston with a special guest appearance by the Praise Tabernacle Drama Team. This is a free event.

Summer concerts at the William Hall Library

The Cranston Public Library, Parks & Recreation Partnership Brings Summer Concerts to William Hall Library, located at 1825 Broad Street, Cranston.

“Music In Our Town,” a summer concert series, will feature summer performances, at the William Hall Library.

All concerts are free and open to the public and will take place on the William Hall Library front lawn. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs and snacks to make the most of these free, family-friendly events. Free ice cream provided by Scandinavian House at selected performances.

Traditional concerts will take place on Thursdays, through Aug. 3, from 6:30-8 p.m.

July 20 will be R & J Review is a dynamic duo and a crowd-pleaser with a mix of music from the 50s, 60s and 70s. This concert is sponsored by Webster Bank.

July 27 will be Avenue A:  An evening of swing, jazz, standards and popular music to wrap up the month of July.

Aug. 3 will be Billy Shears Band as they close out the Summer Concert Series with the music of the Beatles.

Kids’ concerts will take place on July 25 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. the Toe Jam Puppet Band.

At the Senior Center

Michael A. Traficante Enrichment Center the former Cranston Senior Enrichment Center is located at 1070 Cranston St. For any additional information on the following programs, please call 780-6000.

A Mobile Manicure Spa - More Than Just Pretty Nails will be at the Cranston Senior Center to pamper. On Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to noon, getting a manicure is a nice routine and it is even nicer when it is coming to you here at the center!  Sarah, our manicurist, will be with us on Thursdays throughout July from 9 a.m. to noon. For only $7 you will have the opportunity to enjoy a standard manicure. By appointment only please call now at 780-6216.

The Book Club will meet on July 25 at 10:30 a.m. and discuss “Year of Pleasures” by Elizabeth Berg. This novel is about starting life over, and purposely enriching that life with the many pleasures, especially the small and free ones, that are always available to us.

Words Matter!! “Difficulty Hearing Phone Conversations?” There are two upcoming programs that may help you or someone you know who may be having difficulty hearing conversations over the telephone.  Representatives from RI Relay and ClearCaptions will be at the center to explain each of their cutting-edge technologies.  You decide which would work best for you.

On July 26 at 10 a.m. a program on “Captioned Phones” will be held.  A regular phone that captures phone conversations and displays them on a screen. On July 17 at 10 a.m. there will be a program on “Amplified Phones.”

Chronic Disease Self-Management Program will be held from Aug. 25 through Sept. 29 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Back by popular demand…this Living Well Rhode Island program is free for individuals who may have a chronic condition, are at risk of developing one or simply want to improve their quality of life.  This evidence-based education workshop teaches us how to manage symptoms of a chronic condition (pain, arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure etc.), relieve stress, eat well, exercise, and how to realistically set attainable goals.  Upon successfully completing the program (attending 5 of the 6 sessions) participants will receive a workbook, a relaxation CD and a $20 gift certificate. Space is limited please register early by calling 780-6000.

Let Your Yoga Dance! will be held on Thursdays at 10 a.m. for a fee of $3 per person. Have you heard of Dance Yoga?  If you like yoga and you like to dance…you should try the two together.  Join in for a fun filled hour, with great music from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. For more information call 780-6216.

Come Sing With Us will be offered at the Center to all those who enjoy singing. Would you like to be part of a choral group? Studies have shown that singing improves mental, emotional, and physical health and it is great fun!   The Center is looking to begin a singing group and if you are interested or would like more information please call 780-6178.

In search of Cranston history

The Cranston Historical Society is grateful to the good people of their city who allow them to borrow old pictures of Cranston schools, activities, businesses, parades, landscape photos, farm pictures, etc. that show Cranston's rich history, civics and industry. If you have any of these, and would like to share, call 944-9226.

Help make a house a home

The Furniture Bank of RI, a 501(C)3 non-profit corporation, needs bureaus, complete twin or double beds, kitchen sets, mattresses and other household furniture that you no longer need. To help a less fortunate family through your charitable donation of good used furniture, call 831-5511 to arrange for pick up. All donated articles must be in good condition.

To submit your news from the community, e-mail Meri R. Kennedy at CranstonChatter@aol.com. Photos in .jpg format are accepted.

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