Cranston Chatter

Meri R. Kennedy
Posted 3/26/15

By MERI R. KENNEDY

Yard waste pickup starts April 6

Due to the long winter season, with snow still on the ground, yard waste collection will be starting on Monday, April 6. With the late start, …

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Cranston Chatter

Posted

By MERI R. KENNEDY

Yard waste pickup starts April 6

Due to the long winter season, with snow still on the ground, yard waste collection will be starting on Monday, April 6. With the late start, yard waste collection will be extended in the fall to Friday, Dec. 18.

Rotary Club Texas Hold ’Em charity fundraiser

The Rotary Club of Cranston will host a Texas Hold ‘Em charity fundraising event on Sunday, April 12, with 30 percent of proceeds used to host the event and 70 percent distributed through the club to local charities. The event will be held at the Portuguese Club, located at 20 Second Ave. in Cranston. Buy-in is $50 for a full stack. Meatballs and pasta will be available.

First prize is $500, with cash prizes through fifth place and other prizes for those finishing sixth through 10th. The game will consist of 10 tables of 10 players working that down to a final table of 10 finalists. There will be $50 re-buy for the first 45 minutes. The event will be held from noon to 5 p.m., with an 11:30 a.m. check-in time. Register by March 31. For more information, contact Lori Adamo at ladamo@coderedbcs.com or Cindy Fogarty at fogartylaw@hotmail.com.

Electronic devices collection

Ryan Murphy from Troop 8 Cranston will work along with Goodwill Industries of Rhode Island and Troop 8 Cranston of the Boy Scouts as they host a free collection of old electronic devices on March 28 from 9 a.m. to noon. This event serves as Murphy’s Eagle Scout project.

The collection will take place at the Cranston Veterans Memorial Ice Rink, located at 900 Phenix Ave. All electronic devices are accepted except tube televisions. Some examples of what will be accepted include computers, laptops, audio and video equipment, small household appliances, telephones and flat-screen televisions. The electronic devices do not need to be in working order.

The collection will help Goodwill Industries continue expanding its mission to train and educate Rhode Island youth and adults with barriers to employment and disabilities. The collection will also help the environment by recycling old electronics to be used again, instead of ending up in a landfill.

For more information, contact Kevin Fisette at 401-861-2080, ext. 144 or kfisette@goodwillri.org.

Affordable health screenings

Residents living in and around the Cranston can learn about their risk for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and other chronic, serious conditions with affordable screenings by Life Line Screening. Rhode Island Shriners will host this community event on April 2. The site is located at 1 Rhodes Place in Cranston. Screenings can check for the level of plaque buildup in your arteries, related to risk for heart disease, stroke and overall vascular health; HDL and LDL cholesterol levels; diabetes risk; bone density as a risk for possible osteoporosis; kidney and thyroid function; and more.

Screenings are affordable, convenient and accessible for wheelchairs and those with trouble walking. Free parking is also available.

Packages start at $149, but consultants will work with you to create a package that is right for you based on your age and risk factors. Call 1-877-237-1287 or visit our website at www.lifelinescreening.com. Pre-registration is required.

Cranston Public Library hosting HERCRI lecture

On Sunday, March 29, the Cranston Public Library welcomes the Holocaust Education and Resource Center of Rhode Island (HERCRI) as they hold an installment of the Victor Baxt Lecture Series entitled “The Providence Jewish Community and the Rise of Hitler; 1933-1939.” The event will begin at 2 p.m.

Geraldine Foster will lead the free lecture, exploring the Providence Jewish community during the time period, as well as what community members knew about the changes in Europe, how they came to learn of new developments, and how they reacted to global events.

Foster, an English teacher with degrees from Pembroke and Brown University, is an active member of the Jewish community who works closely with the Jewish Historical Society, Miriam Hospital and the Alperin Schechter Day School. She is the editor of “The History of the Jews in Rhode Island,” “Congregation Sons of Israel and David: a Pictorial Memoir” and “Moments and Memories,” as well as the co-author of the book “Jews of Rhode Island 1658-1958.” Foster writes a monthly column for the Jewish Voice called “Remember the Past.”

More information can be found at www.cranstonlibrary.org.

The Cranston Public Library’s Central Library is located at 140 Sockanosset Cross Road, Cranston RI 02920.

Egg-stravaganza at Confreda

On March 29 from noon to 2 p.m., Confreda Greenhouses & Farms, located at 2150 Scituate Ave. in Cranston, will hold its Easter EGG-stravaganza. Hunt for Easter eggs, decorate cookies, take pictures with the Easter Bunny and enjoy planting some spring flowers. This is a free event. The rain date is April 4.

Benefit for Animals Depend On People Too

There will be pet photos with the Easter Bunny on March 29 at Pet Supplies Plus in Garden City Center from noon to 3 p.m. Gene Hutnak Photography will capture the special moment of pets or family with the Easter Bunny.

The donation is $20 for two different photos, which can all be reproduced. All donations will benefit Animals Depend On People Too Inc., which is dedicated is to helping homeless, abused, stray, injured and abandoned companion pets.

Empty Bowls

On March 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Rhodes on the Pawtuxet is the place to be to join in for the biggest Empty Bowls event Rhode Island has ever seen. Enjoy local food and pottery at this casual family-friendly event.

Choose a handmade artisanal bowl and taste samples of soup, bread and dessert from local restaurants. Keep your bowl as a reminder that your support helps fill all of the empty bowls in our community.

General admission is $35 per person, and all proceeds will benefit the RI Food Bank. Patron admission of $150 per person includes VIP bowl selection, one free drink and gratitude for your generosity.

For more information, visit www.rifoodbank.org/emptybowls.

NY System Weiner Eating Contest

On April 19, Olneyville NY System, located at 1012 Reservoir Ave., will be the place to be to join in the hot weiners eating contest to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through Man of the Year hopeful Ace Aceto. The event will begin at noon. There is a $500 prize for the person who eats the most in 15 minutes. Come to compete or come to watch. The event will also feature face painting and magic for the family. There will be raffles, prizes and music as well. There is a $50 entrance fee and a donation of $10 dollars to watch the contest. The $50 entrance fee to participants will be waived if a contestant raises more than $100 in sponsors. Contestants may contact Mike Murray at mr.mikemurray@verizon.net. The event is sponsored by Olneyville NY System and Funny4funds.com.

Dancing with the Stars

 

On April 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., join the Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership for its ninth annual “Dancing with the Stars of Mentoring.” Eight local “celebrity” dancers and their professional partners from The Dancing Feeling studio will take part in a ballroom dance competition to raise funds for youth mentoring. In addition to the competition, there will be dinner, a silent auction, open dancing, and a fabulous opening number featuring NBC 10’s Mario Hilario and the Total Convergence Dancers. Tickets are $75 per person and must be purchased in advance. For more information, please visit www.mentorri.org or call RIMP at 401-732-7700. The event will be held at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston.

2nd annual Pawtuxet Village Wedding Stroll

On April 11 from noon to 4 p.m., the sidewalks of Pawtuxet Village will become a runway and bridal show. Local businesses will showcase their wedding services and gifts while models walk the street in the latest wedding fashions. Be entered to win the grand prize – a basket with savings and gifts from all participating vendors – by picking up your map at Salon KG. The rain date is Sunday, April 12. Attention all vendors, please bring your own tables and chairs.

Cranston Public Library to participate in RI Library Day

On March 28, the Cranston Public Library will participate in the statewide celebration of public libraries known as Rhode Island Library Day. The public is invited to stop by any open CPL location for a variety of programs and cultural events.

From 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., the Central Library will be holding technology demonstrations in its newly opened C-Lab. Library staff and teen volunteers will lead demonstrations of 3D printers, an MP3 turntable, littleBits, assistive technology and more.

Rhode Island Library Day is a Rhode Island Library Association-supported initiative, with a goal of raising awareness of public libraries in Rhode Island. For a complete list of Rhode Island Library Day events and programs taking place at Cranston Public Library locations, visit cranstonlibrary.org/ri-library-day. The Central Library is located at 140 Sockanosset Cross Road.

Butterflies for Pawtuxet Village

Attention to all art teachers in Cranston! The Friends of Pawtuxet Village are looking for butterflies of all colors and styles made by students. They will be hanging them up all throughout the village in mid-April to celebrate spring. For more information, contact Julia Johnston at 401-280-6375.

Statewide Business After Hours

Join in for the largest networking event of the year at the Statewide Business After Hours, which gets hundreds of attendees along with approximately 100 vendors. The event runs from 4:30 p.m. through 7:30 p.m. and offers wonderful food stations, a cash bar, raffles, networking and more. The event will once again be held on March 31 at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston. For more information, contact your local Chamber of Commerce.

Miss RI Italia seeking entries

The Miss RI Italia Organization’s 2015 competition will be held Sunday, May 24 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Providence Marriott Downtown. The competition is open for girls of Italian descent ages seven through adult. If you’d like an application or more information, please email snewomanevents@gmail.com.

Comedy fundraiser for Budlong Preschool

Funny4Funds.com will hold a comedy fundraiser featuring New England’s best comedians on April 19 to benefit Budlong Preschool’s 25-year celebration. It will be held at the Elks Lodge #1697, 60 Clyde St. in West Warwick. Doors open at 3 p.m. with the show beginning at 4 p.m. There will be a pub-style menu with two cash bars available. Tickets are $20 each. Please contact Lori Pesare at 401-316-0644 or 401-944-5990.

Bain’s Commemorative Brick Project

The Bain Middle School community is proud to continue the Commemorative Brick Project. Their goal is to establish a walkway that will illustrate the traditions and rich history that Bain possesses. This brick project will pave the way for future generations. Participants may wish to honor a teacher or administrator, remember a loved one, recognize a graduating year, honor someone special, join with classmates for a class brick, engrave a business or organization name or set their own name in stone for decades to come.

Whatever the reason, leave a permanent testament of your ongoing support of Hugh B. Bain Middle School. They are selling two different size bricks: 4-by-8 inches with three lines and 18 characters for $50, and 8-by-8 inches with six lines and 18 characters.

Bricks will be on display in the school until installation. Visit www.bricksrus.com/order/bainmiddle to place an order or stop by the school for an order form. For additional information, please contact Julia Palazzo at 401-270-8014 or jpalazzo@cpsed.net.

For all Bain alumni

Please spread word and save the date! There will be a gathering of Bain alumni from all years on March 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall at 1047 Park Ave. Tickets are $25 per person. The event will feature entertainment, a variety of appetizers, a silent auction and raffles. Meanwhile, the principal is asking for any pictures alumni have from their Bain years. A slide show is being created for the event. Please send any pictures to jchanremka@cpsed.net.

Did You Know?

Here is an Easter Fun Fact: When taking a bite into a chocolate bunny, 76 percent of Americans prefer to bite off the ears first. Five percent eat the feet first, and 4 percent eat the tail first. (Source: Easter 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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