NEWS

Cranston Chatter

Posted 6/23/21

By MERI R. KENNEDY St. Mary's Feast kickoff event The St. Mary's Feast Society will host a kick-off to this year's festival on Wednesday, July 14, from 6 to 10 p.m. The event, which will be free, will be held at the Feast Society's building at 15 Phenix

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NEWS

Cranston Chatter

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St. Mary’s Feast kickoff event

The St. Mary’s Feast Society will host a kick-off to this year’s festival on Wednesday, July 14, from 6 to 10 p.m.

The event, which will be free, will be held at the Feast Society’s building at 15 Phenix Ave. It will feature entertainment from Lance Mantia’s The Rewind Party. There will be a cash bar and food.

This year’s St. Mary’s Feast from Jule 14-18. The feast’s fireworks display is scheduled for July 18 at 10 p.m.

For more information, visit the St. Mary’s Feast Society Facebook page.

Cranston Community Artists’ Bazaar

Cranston Community Artist’s Bazaar, or CCAB, will host a free outdoor festival on Saturday, July 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tate Field at Bain Middle School.

The event will feature more than 150 vendors, food trucks, children’s activities, raffles and more. All funds raised will directly benefit Cranston Public Schools. The rain date is July 18.

For more information, email cranstoncab@gmail.com. There are a few vendor spots left open.

One Act Play Festival at Artists’ Exchange

Artists’ Exchange proudly announces the return of its 16th annual One Act Play Festival, running June 24-27.

This year, for the first time in festival history, the stage will be set outdoors in the heart of Rolfe Square.

This family-friendly event will have audiences of all ages enjoying quality, never-before-seen productions of seven one-act plays, all while celebrating the summer season and sunshine.

Performances are Thursday, June 24, through Saturday, June 26, at 6 p.m., and Sunday, June 27, at 12 p.m. outdoors under the trees in the lot next to Artists’ Exchange and across from Durfee’s Hardware.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door, or for groups that wish to both save on ticket admission and sit together, take advantage of our new “pod seating,” which costs only $50 for a private 9-by-9-foot section for you and seven guests.

This event is truly family friendly, as well as handicap accessible. Additional event details, as well as behind the scenes information about casts, directors and playwrights can all be found online at www.artists-exchange.org/one-act-play-festival.

Summer concerts returning at Garden City Center

Your favorite summer tradition is back at Garden City Center!

Join in on Wednesday nights in July and August for good tunes, family fun and memories that will last well beyond the dog days of summer as part of the shopping center’s Summer Concert Series.

Garden City will be making these concerts even more exciting than ever, so stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks!

As of now, the schedule includes Funk Night featuring XS BAND on July 21; Tropical Night featuring The Copacetics on July 28; A night on the boardwalk featuring Elton John vs. Billy Joel on Aug. 4; and ’80s night featuring Fast Times on Aug. 11.

As always, the concerts are free of charge. To learn more, follow Garden City Center on Facebook or visit www.gardencitycenter.com.

Adult Summer Reading Program

The Cranston Public Library will be hosting an Adult Summer Reading Program, “The Art & Science of Reading.”

Read books, attend events, pick up a take-and-make kit, share your reading with the community, and earn raffle tickets for the end-of-summer prize drawing.

For more details, visit www.cranstonlibrary.org/summer-reading-2021.

Storytelling with Terry Wolfisch Cole

The Cranston Public Library invites members of the community to take part in two can’t-miss events with Moth champion storyteller Terry Wolfisch Cole. Both events are free and open to the public. Each event requires separate registration.

“Introduction to Personal Storytelling,” an online program, will be held Tuesday, July 13, from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Ira Glass of “This American Life” says, “Great stories happen to people who know how to tell them.” Do you want to get better at captivating listeners? Whether you want to tell your story on stage, in a business meeting or college interview, or at the family table, professional storyteller Terry Wolfisch Cole of “Tell Me Another” will teach you everything you need to know to engage any audience. The session will include an opportunity to hear Terry tell a story as well as tips and tricks for effective storytelling.

Then, the program “Personal Storytelling Open Mic” will be held on Thursday, July 15, from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Wolfisch Cole will host an entertaining evening of true stories told live by the people who lived them. Bring your story to share (no longer than five minutes and appropriate for all ears, please), or just sit back, listen, and enjoy the show.

Participation in the July 13 “Introduction to Personal Storytelling” workshop is not required but is encouraged for “Open Mic” participants.

To register for these events, visit www.cranstonlibrary.org. For assistance, call (401) 943-9080, ext. 3 or email zach@cranstonlibrary.org The Zoom link will be emailed the day of the events.

Computer classes at the library

The Cranston Public Library is excited to resume in-person computer classes this month. All computer classes will be held in person, with an option to join in virtually via Zoom.

Course offerings include Introductory and Intermediate Microsoft Excel, Introduction to the Ocean State Libraries Mobile App, and a new course, Introduction to Video Conferencing, coming up on Thursday, June 10, at 10 a.m. In this course, students will learn how to use Zoom, Google Meet and FaceTime to create and participate in video meetings.

All classes are free and open to the public. Registration is required.

For more information, and to register, visit www.cranstonlibrary.org/computer-classes.

Amateur radio

The Blackstone Valley Amateur Radio Club (BVARC) invites members of the public to discover the adventure, challenge and excitement of amateur, or “ham,” radio by participating in the club’s annual Field Day, scheduled Saturday, June 26, and Sunday, June 27.

Sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Field Day is BVARC’s largest event of the year and is held on the grounds of the Scituate Senior Center, the former Chopmist Hill Inn, Route 102, Scituate. Activities are conducted regardless the weather.

The two-day event provides visitors the opportunity to discover what amateur radio involves and the services ham radio provides, including emergency communications.

Three radio stations will be set up on the grounds, including a GOTA (“Get on the Air”) station, where visitors will be afforded the chance to operate radios and make contacts with other hams worldwide. The stations will be on the air continuously from Saturday 2 p.m. to Sunday 2 p.m.

Demonstrations are planned, including operating with low power and using satellites to make radio contacts.

Refreshments will be available.

BVARC’s Field day culminates the weeklong Amateur Radio Week. More information about the club and Field Day is available at www.w1ddd.org.

‘Discovery of a Masterpiece’ at the library

Cranston Public Library will host “Discovery of a Masterpiece” with Mallory Mortillaro on Tuesday, June 29, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. This event is virtual and will be held on Crowdcast.

How does a priceless sculpture of Napoleon hide in plain sight for over 75 years? While Mallory Mortillaro was cataloging the artwork housed inside of the Hartley Dodge Memorial, she uncovered a masterpiece that had been lost to the art world since the 1930s. After a year of research, the piece – a bust of Napoleon – was authenticated as an official work by Auguste Rodin.

Mortillaro will share the story of how a simple art cataloging project evolved into a search for a mysterious piece’s provenance, and became one of the biggest art finds in recent history.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information and to register, visit www.crowdcast.io/e/masterpiece.

This program is presented with thanks to the generosity of the Cranston Public Library Association.

Questions about the event? Please contact Zach at zach@cranstonlibrary.org.

Support the library

Looking for a way to support the local community? For the month of June, the Cranston Public Library Association will receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $2.50 reusable Community Bag at the Stop & Shop store located at 200 Atwood Ave. in Cranston.

Mental health education

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Rhode Island chapter offers resources for local residents.

NAMI Basics is a six-session education program for parents, caregivers and other family who provide care for youth (ages 22 and younger) who are experiencing mental health symptoms. This program is free to participants, 99 percent of whom say they would recommend the program to others. NAMI Basics is available online through NAMI Basics OnDemand.

The OnDemand program is guided by parents and family members with lived experience but is self-paced and available 24/7. OnDemand offers the flexibility of participating in the course on your schedule.

For more information on this evidence-based program and other classes and support groups, visit the Rhode Island chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness at www.namirhodeisland.org, call (401) 331-3060 or email beth@namirhodeisland.org.

Over 65 Golf League

Attention all golfers 65 and older – if you are interested in golfing in a mixed league, the Over 65 Golf League, on Mondays at Harbor Lights, 150 Gray St., Warwick, please contact Carol Desforges at Desac63@gmail. Please indicate your name, phone number and email in your message.

To be a member or a spare (sub) in the league, you pay dues which include season play (May- Sept. 13, 2021), playoffs (Sept. 20- Oct. 4), scramble tournament (Oct. 13) and a banquet with distribution of prizes (Oct. 13). The membership dues are $55, or $30 for spares not attending the banquet.

Garden City SWEAT

Every Saturday, Garden City Center will present its new fitness series, Garden City SWEAT. Each week, they will be bringing you outdoor group workout classes led by instructors from local fitness community, including CORE Studios and Haven Fitness. They mix it up with different styles and intensities, so there's something for yogis, HIIT-lovers and everything in between.

Plus, a lucky participant in each class will win a $50 gift card to either lululemon or Athleta. Spots are limited. Register and learn more at www.gardencitycenter.com/sweat.

Pre-K lottery

The 2021-22 state pre-K lottery is now accepting applications for the fall. Cranston residents are able to apply for all Cranston sites, including Arlington Elementary, Edgewood Highland, Stadium Elementary, CCAP Head Start on Atwood Avenue, Cadence Academy and Little Learners Academy.

To learn more, visit www3.ride.ri.gov/pklottery. For further inquiries regarding Cranston Public Schools sites and programs, please email swebster@cpsed.net.

Cranston RSVP seeking volunteers

The RSVP Program at Cranston’s Department of Senior Services is seeking volunteers to help to deliver brown bag lunches to seniors in the community, run errands for seniors and transport local homebound seniors to medical appointments.

You must be 55 years of age or older to volunteer and a BCI is required. Mileage reimbursement is given to cover travel costs. AmeriCorps Seniors will also provide insurance protection with three types of coverage – excess accident medical coverage, excess volunteer liability insurance and excess automobile liability insurance.

If you are interested in becoming an RSVP volunteer, contact Karen Porto at (401) 780-6159 for an interview.

Books @ Home

Through the Books @ Home program, the Cranston Public Library provides free home delivery of books and other materials to qualifying, homebound residents of Cranston.

It doesn’t matter if you are permanently or temporarily homebound. Books, music and videos are delivered every three weeks at no charge.

For more information about Books @ Home, call the library’s Auburn Branch at (401) 781-6116 or visit www.cranstonlibrary.org/homebound-services.

Mortgage assistance

Were you affected by COVID-19 and having trouble making your mortgage?

The city of Cranston, through the Department of Community Development and in partnership with CCAP, has funds available in the CDBG Emergency Mortgage Payment Program. This program assists low-income Cranston families earning under 80 percent of the median income who are at risk of losing their homes as a direct result of the COVID-19 Pandemic with up to six months of mortgage assistance.

For more information, call CCAP’s Social Services at (401) 467-7013.

Wonderful Weekend kits

The Cranston Public Library will be offering teens in grades six through 12 the chance to sign up for Wonderful Weekend kits. New kits will be announced every other Monday. To register, visit www.ow.ly/8Pfg50EgBG0.

CCAP Chip for Charity golf tournament

Save the date – CCAP has announced plans to hold its 2021 Chip for Charity golf tournament on Wednesday, Sept. 15, at Harbor Light Golf Club in Warwick. Sponsorships and foursomes are available. For more details, contact CCAP’s Lee Beliveau at (401) 562-8353 or lbeliveau@comcap.org.

As a nonprofit community action program, CCAP needs to raise funds to assist families it serves. A large number of families CCAP serves have lost their jobs, suffered an illness, or experienced a different type of crisis, usually through no fault of their own. Last year, CCAP touched the lives of more than 40,000 people and provided over $1.2 million in uncompensated services.

Chip for Charity, presented by Neighborhood Health and Mutual of America, is CCAP’s largest fundraiser during the year to benefit its programs and services.

Be Kind RI

Be Kind RI is a new program that connects volunteers to their neighbors across Rhode Island through text alerts to coordinate food deliveries from grocery stores and food pantries. To sign up, go to www.BeKindRI.org. Volunteers must be 18 or older and undergo our background check. Be Kind RI is open to those in Rhode Island experiencing COVID-19 risk factors, including seniors 65 and older, anyone with underlying health conditions, those in quarantine or isolation, anyone experiencing a lack of childcare, and those who would otherwise experience difficulty in obtaining food. For assistance signing up, call 877-958-8785.

Outdoor Storytime at Hall

The Cranston Hall library is looking for children up to age 5 and their caregivers to attend an outdoor Storytime. If you can join in Monday mornings at 10:30 at the William Hall Library, register through the events calendar on the library’s website, www.cranstonlibrary.org.

The program is designed so participants can practice social distancing, and masks are encouraged. Participants are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs and use umbrellas or sunscreen for sun protection.

CCAP Emergency Housing Assistance

The Comprehensive Community Action Program’s Emergency Housing Assistance program assists individuals/families living in Cranston, Coventry, Scituate and Foster with back rent, security deposits, mortgage assistance, late fees associated with back rent or mortgage, moving costs and utilities. Funding is limited. For more information, call CCAP at (401) 467-7013 or visit www.comcap.org.

Warwick Center for the Arts Summer Art Camp

Warwick Center for the Arts, located at 3259 Post Road in Warwick, will hold its 2021 Summer Art Camp from June 28-Aug. 13.

The camp will feature a variety of courses, such as “Comics and Coloring Books,” “The Art of Musical Theater,” and much more. Spend your summer creating, making friends and having fun.

For cost and times, and additional information, visit warwickcfa.org, call (401) 737-0010 or email danielle@warwickcfa.org.

Did you know?

The first organized Fourth of July fireworks were set off in Pennsylvania and Boston in 1777, one year after the Declaration of Independence was signed.

To submit your news from the community, email Meri R. Kennedy at CranstonChatter@aol.com. This includes virtual events which should be submitted two to three weeks ahead of the event. Photos in jpg format are accepted and news can include community events, promotions, academic news and nonprofit events. Email today and see your news in our column in the Cranston Herald.

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