NEWS

Plastic bag ban to be enforced

Posted 7/21/21

By MERI R. KENNEDY Plastic bag ban to be enforced The city has issued a reminder that an ordinance banning single-use plastic bags for retail checkout purposes has taken full effect as of July 1. The city of Cranston will now enforce this ordinance -

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NEWS

Plastic bag ban to be enforced

Posted

The city has issued a reminder that an ordinance banning single-use plastic bags for retail checkout purposes has taken full effect as of July 1.

The city of Cranston will now enforce this ordinance – Chapter 8.12.140 of the Code of the City of Cranston, 2005, entitled “Plastic Reduction.”

If you need any further information, please feel free to call the Office of Economic Development and its director, Franklin J. Paulino, at 780-3166.

In a statement, Paulino wrote: “The purpose of this ordinance is to protect the wildlife and coastal ecosystems, the enjoyment of nature, and the health, safety, and welfare of Cranston’s residents and visitors by: 1) Banning the use of plastic carryout bags for retail checkout of goods. 2) Encouraging the use of reusable bags; and 3) Reducing the number of plastic carryout bags that enter our environment.”

For more information, visit www.cranstonri.gov.

‘Resilience’ at Warwick Center for the Arts

Warwick Center for the Arts, located at 3259 Post Road in Warwick, will host “Resilience; a Juried Exhibit for Native American Artists” from July 31 through Sept. 4. An opening reception, free and open to the public, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 5.

This exhibit is a collaborative partnership between the Warwick Center for the Arts, Tomaquag Museum, and RISCA’s Atrium Gallery Travelling Exhibits. It is being curated by Angel Beth Smith of the Narragansett tribe, a professional artist with more than 30 years experience providing artistic content, teaching, and marketing support to academic institutions, churches and private organizations.

For more information, visit www.warwickcfa.org.

CCRI open enrollment day, vaccine clinic

The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) is hosting its next open enrollment day at its Providence campus. During the event, CCRI will hold vaccine a clinic for enrolling students and their families.

The event is scheduled for Tuesday, July 20, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Liston Campus, One Hilton Street, Providence.

The event will offer those interested in attending CCRI the opportunity to apply for free, receive assistance with filing for financial aid, schedule or take the ACCUPLACER placement exam, and register for classes.

CCRI will also hold a walk-in COVID vaccine clinic during the event for prospective and currently enrolled students. The clinic will be administering the Pfizer vaccine (approved for those 12 years of age or older). CCRI is requiring all students enrolled for in person classes for the fall 2021 semester to be vaccinated (medical and religious exemptions allowed).

The free event is a simple one-stop shop for attending CCRI this fall. For more information, visit www.ccri.edu.

High school graduates from the class of 2021 can also learn about the RI Promise Scholarship program, which provides two years free tuition for full-time students who attend CCRI the semester after graduating high school.

Bloodmobile to visit library

The Rhode Island Blood Center’s Bloodmobile will visit the Cranston Public Library’s Central Library on Sockanosset Cross Road on July 29 from noon to 4 p.m. All donors will receive a Whole Foods gift card.

Please register ahead of time at www.donate.ribc.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/70518. Eat, hydrate and bring identification with you.

For more information, visit ribc.org or www.cranstonlibrary.org.

RSVP transportation volunteers

The Cranston Senior Enrichment Center’s RSVP program needs volunteers to help in many ways in the community. One is to transport homebound seniors to medical appointments or run errands for them.

The program is also seeking RSVP school readiness volunteers to assist Glen Hills Elementary School’s staff and students with an array of school activities and events.

Also needed are RSVP recycling volunteers who educate the community with assistance and guidance from Rhode Island Resource Recovery professionals on a variety of topics such as waste reduction and reuse, recycling and composting. Learn more about Resource Recovery – who they are, what they do, how they work, and much more, including a tour of the facility.

If you are interested in becoming a Cranston RSVP volunteer, contact Karen at 780-6159 for an interview. You must be 55 years of age or older to volunteer and a BCI is required. A mileage reimbursement is given to cover your travel cost. RSVP also provides insurance protection in the event that your or someone else is injured while performing your volunteer duties.

What if you do not drive or do not have a vehicle? No worries. RSVP will provide you with transportation to your volunteer station.

Call for artists, deadline nears

Artists ages 14 and up, pick up a tiny canvas at any Cranston Public Library branch, then bring it home and let your creativity flow! Using the medium of your choice, create a beautiful work of art to be displayed in the tiny gallery show at Central Library in August.

Artwork and completed entry forms can be dropped off at any Cranston Public Library branch. Entries must be received by July 31.

One canvas per person. Three winners will be chosen by a panel of judges from the library and the Cranston Arts Commission.

Save the date for St. Mary’s Road Race

This year’s 49th annual St. Mary’s Feast Society 5.5-Mile Road Race will be held on Saturday, Aug. 14. Save the date, start training and stay tuned for more information.

Update on Garden City Concert Series

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.

On July 28 will be Tropical Night featuring the Copacetics. Enjoy a day on the beach with a playlist full of high-energy ska and reggae, with dashes of soul, blues, doo wop and jazz. Enjoy hula dancing performances and tutorials – no plane ticket necessary!

On Aug. 4, the night will feature Elton John vs. Billy Joel, which is a good old fashion night on the boardwalk, with midway games, fun food and a dueling piano show with songs from two legends of music.

Aug. 11 will bring ’80s Night featuring Fast Times. Get the out the hairspray and neon clothes – they are taking it back to the 1980s with your favorite jams, vintage games pre-show and more.

The pre-show entertainment begins at 5 p.m. Showtime is at 6:30 p.m. Swing by early to experience this night out you won’t want to miss.

All Garden City Center Summer Concerts are free to attend. General admission seating is located south of the Gazebo. Pack a picnic, grab your family and enjoy the show.

Looking for the VIP concert experience? Purchase a VIP ticket and receive select seating located in the Gazebo parking lot (closest to Newport Creamery – no need to bring your own chair!) with complimentary appetizers, non-alcoholic beverages, and a special gift from Garden City Center. VIP tickets are $15 and benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Purchase your VIP ticket by contacting the Garden City Center. Visit www.gardencitycenter.com for more information.

In the event of inclement weather, the concert for the week will be moved to Thursday.

Audi Warwick is excited to be a part of Garden City Center’s favorite summer tradition.

Animals to arrive in Garden City Center

Join educators from Roger Williams Park Zoo at Garden City Center to learn more about the wild world of animals.

Programs will offer opportunities for adult/child pairs to make discoveries together and will include a lesson, activity and a meet-and-greet with one of the zoo’s ambassador animals.

Sessions are hosted at the Garden City Center Gazebo and are 45 minutes long.

One ticket – which costs $10 – includes admission for one child and their parent or guardian. If you have multiple children attending this event, please purchase another ticket for each child. Spots are limited and registration is required.

The events will be held Wednesdays from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Upcoming dates include July 28 and Aug. 4 and 11.

To register, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/animal-encounters-with-roger-williams-zoo-tickets-161249161583.

Shakespeare Under the Stars

“Shakespeare Under the Stars” will come to Cranston on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 13-14, at the Governor Sprague Mansion, located on Cranston Street.

What Cheer, Shakespeare? Theatre Company, founded by Cranston resident Joseph Wallace and his partner Karen Valcourt, will be staging Shakespeare’s comedy “Two Gents of Verona” at 7 p.m. both nights, weather permitting.

The company has been producing “Shakespeare Under the Stars” in various locations throughout southern New England. It is the longest continuously running Shakespeare company now performing in Rhode Island. With a style that can be best described as “irreverent,” the company strives to bring Shakespeare to everybody, regardless of their previous experience or knowledge. While remaining true to the text, the actors wear modern clothes, and there’s almost no scenery. The focus is on entertaining the audience with some of the greatest works ever produced.

Several members of Wallace’s and Valcourt’s Company are former students from the drama program at Cranston High School East, where Wallace has taught for 31 years. Several Rhode Island theater veterans also make up the cast and crew, including director Christopher Ferreira, who has worked for most of the amateur theater companies in the state.

Tickets for the event cost $20 online at eventbrite.com and $22 at the door. Children 14 and under will be admitted free of charge. For more information, call or text (508) 933-4233.

Mayor’s Picnic for seniors

The annual Mayor’s Picnic will be held on Friday, Aug. 20, at Brayton Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Transportation will be provided from the Cranston Senior Enrichment Center.

Tickets go on sale July 12 and the cost is $3 per person. Call Lisa at 780-6215 to make your reservation.

NAMI Family-to-Family course

NAMI Rhode Island, the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will offer a Family-to-Family course beginning Wednesday, July 14, at 6:30 p.m. This is a free and virtual eight-session educational program for family, significant others and friends of people with mental health conditions. It is a designated evidenced-based program. This means that research shows that the program significantly improves the coping and problem-solving abilities of the people closest to a person with a mental health condition.

NAMI Family-to-Family is taught by trained family members who have “been there” and includes presentations, discussions and interactive exercises. It not only provides information and strategies for taking care of the person you love, but you’ll also find out that you’re not alone. Recovery is a journey, and there is hope.

For more information or to register for this evidence-based program, visit www.namirhodeisland.org, call (401) 331-3060 or email beth@namirhodeisland.org.

East 61st reunion announced

Cranston High School East’s class of 1960 will hold its 61st reunion on Sept. 12, 2021, at the Cranston Country Club. A social hour will begin at noon and dinner with entertainment follows at 1 p.m.

The cost is $50 per person and the deadline to respond is Sept. 1. For details and reservations, contact Dolores DiMeo Carroll at (401) 942-0949 or dolores1120@verizon.net.

New Hope Art Gallery now open

Ricky Gagnon, director of the New Hope Art Gallery located in the Cranston Senior Enrichment Center at 1070 Cranston St., has announced the gallery is once again open with a new show coming this fall.

Guests can come to see the current show in their large gallery located on two floors of the center. This show features wonderful art in many styles and media from 50 local, special needs and senior artists. Our current show will run until Oct. 1.

They will feature a new fall show with a scheduled opening on Tuesday Oct. 26, from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Come visit and enjoy the art. Regular gallery hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except holidays.

‘Altered Paper, Prints & Books’ exhibit

Warwick Center for the Arts, located at 3259 Post Road in Warwick, will host its “Altered Paper, Prints & Books” juried exhibit through July 24. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public. It features works on paper, in two or three dimensions, with an emphasis on three-dimensional art constructed with paper. In this exhibit, artists showcase their interpretation, reflection, and expression of their personal art journey. For further information, visit www.warwickcfa.org.

Greek Festival dates announces

The dates of the 35th annual Cranston Greek Festival have been announced as Sept. 10-12, 2021. More updates will follow.

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.

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.

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 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.

Did you know?

In 1905, 11-year-old Frank Epperson left a cup filled with powdered soda, water and a stirring stick on his San Francisco porch. That night, low temperatures caused the mixture to freeze, and a summertime staple was born. Today, two billion Popsicles are sold every year.

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.

Cranston, Chatter

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