Cranston Chatter

By Meri R. Kennedy
Posted 8/1/18

By MERI R. KENNEDY Neighborhood grant applications due Friday Do you love your neighborhood? Do you and your neighbors want to work together to make it better? OneCranston is pleased to announce its Community Builders small grant program. The purpose of

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Cranston Chatter

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Neighborhood grant applications due Friday

Do you love your neighborhood? Do you and your neighbors want to work together to make it better? OneCranston is pleased to announce its Community Builders small grant program. The purpose of the OneCranston Community Builders Grant program is to increase civic leadership in Cranston by supporting resident volunteers to improve their neighborhoods. One Cranston will make up to four $500 grants in support neighborhood projects. The deadline for proposals is 5 p.m. on Aug. 3. If you and your neighbors have an idea for a project, please apply.

OneCranston is a new initiative designed to increase social cohesion in the city. A socially cohesive community is one where residents work to improve the well-being of all community members, fight exclusion and marginalization, create a sense of belonging, promote trust, and offer opportunities for upward mobility. 

Through its work, OneCranston encourages residents to become engaged in their communities and to collaborate and connect with one another as we work together to create a more equitable, economically vibrant, and thriving city.

 OneCranston’s Community Building Committee is pleased to launch its new Community Builders Small Grant Program. Through the program OneCranston seeks to identify and partner with residents interested in bringing their neighbors together to complete projects that improve their communities. OneCranston Community Builders Grants can fund a variety of neighborhood-based activities including neighborhood clean ups, beautification projects, cultural events or celebrations, enhancement or creation of public spaces, school improvements, or any other ideas that you and your neighbors believe will bring people together to improve their neighborhoods.

One Cranston is particularly interested in projects that engage leadership and residents from among the City's growing low income and/or minority communities.

Community Builders Grant Applications are due no later than 5 p.m. on Aug. 3. Applications may be submitted online to WHochstrasserwalsh Attention: William Hochstrasser-Walsh, CCAP OneCranston, 311 Doric Avenue, Cranston, RI 02910. Grant amounts up to $500 will be awarded out of a total pool of $2,000. Grant funded projects must be completed by Oct. 31, 2018.

If you have any questions or need assistance with the application, reach out to WHochstrasserwalsh@comcap.org.

National Night Out coming to Garden City

Join the Cranston Police Department at their first National Night Out! This event is based on the community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. It will be held on Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. at the Gazebo in Garden City Shopping Center and will include activities and an interactive display with the police officers.

Come and meet members of the Cranston Police Department and members of our special teams (including the always popular K9 corps!!). We will be joined by many of our incredibly supportive community partners including: CCAP, the Cranston YMCA, the RI Secretary of State's Office (unclaimed property division), the Jim Pagano Foundation, the Cranston Public Library, CODAC, Cranston Public Schools, the Cranston Fire Department, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Rhode Island. Additionally, there will be many vendors from the shopping center on site

National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August.

For more information, please contact Captain Vincent McAteer in the Office of Community Outreach 477-5127.

Cranston Library offers free home delivery of books

They will deliver anything that has a three-week loan period. Patrons never pay a late fee or fine, because they pick up all the materials within that three-week timeframe.

The volunteers deliver books (in regular or large print), audiobooks, magazines, music CDs and documentary DVDs to any homebound Cranston resident living in their own home.

Due to concerns about “chain of custody” they are unable to deliver to nursing homes or assisted living facilities, currently.

Call Karen McGrath at 781-6116 or email her at karenmcgrath@cranstonlibrary.org, to register for the service or become a volunteer driver.

13th annual One Act Play Festival

Don’t miss the line-up of comedies, dramas, and slices of life that explore family bonds, test friendships, ignite neighborhood tension and rely on a bit of magic at the Artists’ Exchange beginning Aug; 2.

Comedies are A Conference on the Mound, Clyde & Bonnie, Obits, Six Months From Today, The Roast, and Tickle That Dragon. Baseball fans, Harry Potter enthusiasts, and more will delight in these light-hearted and dark comedies.

Dramas that tug at heartstrings are Alban’s Garden, Burning, Going Bowling, and Three Sides. A Boy and His Ball, a verse comedy, and This If Your Life? are ensemble pieces that will incorporate original music, movement, and more.

Tickets are $15 advance and $20 at door and performances will be held at Theatre 82 & Café located at 82 Rolfe Square.

The shows will run through August 11 on Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays at 7 p.m.

Garden City Free Concert Series continues

The free summer concerts at the Gazebo in the Garden City Center have already begun and all concerts will be held each week from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., weather permitting. This year’s sponsors are BankNewport and Tasca Chevrolet. Everyone is asked to bring a food donation of peanut butter or tuna fish to each concert for the CCAP food pantry.

The schedule is as follows: Aug. 8: XS Band, Aug. 15: Timmy Maia Band and Aug. 22: The Pop Rocks. All concerts are held at the Gazebo and all are encouraged to bring chairs.

At the Senior Center

The Michael A. Traficante Enrichment Center, located at 1070 Cranston St., will offer the following programs and activities:

Aging & Memory Loss - “What is Normal, What’s Not” will be presented by Butler Hospital on Aug. 8 at 10 a.m. During this educational presentation we will talk about memory loss and the difference between normal aging and when memory loss may be more indicative of mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s disease. We will also talk about the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia and the science behind the disease. Find out what you can do now to help prevent memory loss in your daily lives and what you can do in the future.

Coloring Book Club will meet on Mondays at 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and Materials provided free. Plenty of activities can help seniors engage their brains and increase motor skills. Now add to that coloring books for adults. Coloring can relax the brain, reduce anxiety and stress, and help you focus on the present while enhancing motor skills that begin to fade as we age. Come and check out our Coloring Book Club that meets every Monday.

Cranston Senior Golf Tournament will be held Tuesday, Oct. 2 and Wednesday, Oct. 3 and everyone 55 years or older is invited to participate. The tournament will be held at the Cranston Country Club at 69 Burlingame Rd. Fee of $75 includes 18 holes of golf, golf cart, continental breakfast, lunch and a banquet immediately following. Call 780-6218 for a registration form.

“Tools for Healthy Living” - Chronic Disease Self-Management Program will be held on Tuesdays from 9:15 to 11:30 a.m.; beginning August 7 ending September 11. The “Living Well Rhode Island” free program is for people with one or more chronic conditions, such as, asthma, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, cancer etc. Topics will include: dealing with frustration, pain, fatigue; exercise; medications & nutrition; isolation; evaluating new treatments and effectively communicating with family, friends and especially health professionals. Upon completing the workshop, you will receive a relaxation tape and a gift certificate. If you are interested in participating register now, space is limited, call 780-6000.

Join the Little Sisters of the Poor at McCoy Stadium

The Little Sisters of the Poor are hosting their annual PawSox Family Fun Day at McCoy Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 19. The 13th annual outing begins at 11:30 a.m. with a delicious pre-game summertime barbecue, after which fans can cheer for a Little Sister who will throw a ceremonial pitch just before the PawSox take the field for a contest with the Durham Bulls.

Tickets are $29 for adults and $15 for children under the age of 12 and include the all-you can-eat BBQ and general admission tickets to the game. Tickets must be purchased in advance by Aug. 10 at www.littlesistersofthepoorpawtucket.org or by calling Jeanne Jugan Residence at 305-4001.

Library note cards for sale

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Cranston Public Library; the Cranston Public Library Association is holding a special fundraiser. You can purchase a set of library note cards which features hand drawn sketches of each of the 6 library locations. You can purchase a box for $8 at any Cranston Public Library location.

Did You Know?

August has two birthstones, PERIDOT and SARDONYX: Peridot is among the oldest known gemstones. It ranges from olive to lime green, sometimes with a brownish tinge. Sardonyx is a gem with white and brown bands and it is believed to have mystical powers and eliminates negative thinking! (Source August 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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