Cranston Chatter

By Meri R. Kennedy
Posted 12/23/15

Holiday closures for   Cranston Public Library

All Cranston Public Library locations will be closed on Thursday, Dec. 24, and Friday, Dec. 25. Locations providing regularly scheduled …

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Cranston Chatter

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Holiday closures for Cranston Public Library

All Cranston Public Library locations will be closed on Thursday, Dec. 24, and Friday, Dec. 25. Locations providing regularly scheduled Saturday hours will be open on Dec. 26. The Central Library will be closed on Sunday, Dec. 27. All Cranston Public Library locations will be closed Friday, Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day. Regular hours will resume Saturday, Jan. 2.

TV, e-waste disposal changes

Effective Dec. 10, the city will no longer be able to accept TVs and e-waste at the Public Works Garage on Phenix Avenue. All TVs and e-waste must be disposed of at the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation landfill at 65 Shun Pike in Johnston. The hours of operation for RIRRC are Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., and Saturday from 6 a.m. to noon.

‘Three Square Meals’ drive

Ocean State Job Lot is beginning its annual “Three Square Meals” food and fund drive. Customers at all Ocean State Job Lot stores are invited to make a donation at the registers, a portion of which will be matched by Job Lot to help combat food insecurity in their community. The chain-wide, in-store fundraising effort supports Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation’s Three Square Meals family assistance program, which benefits food banks throughout the Northeast, and local food distribution programs. All 120 Job Lot stores in eight states are participating. Donations will be taken at all stores through Dec. 31.

Ocean State Toastmasters

The Ocean State Toastmasters will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 5, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Warwick City Hall, 3275 Post Road. Regular meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. The club is one of some 13,500 in Toastmasters International, a non-profit, educational organization devoted to the development of public speaking and leadership skills. The organization has approximately 280,000 members in 116 countries. For more information, contact Gail Clarke, vice president of membership, at 401-884-2065 or ghclarke@verizon.net.

Tax assistance program seeks volunteers

The Cranston Senior Enrichment Center is recruiting volunteers for its Volunteer Tax Assistance Program (VITA). This program offers free tax assistance to people with low to moderate income and persons with disabilities. Tax law training is provided. Training is free, and the time commitment is flexible. For more information, contact Jean at 401-780-6129 or Jane at 401-780-6220.

Cheese 101

Edgewood Cheese Shop and Eatery presents Cheese 101 on Jan. 22 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at its 1828 Broad St. location in Cranston. Participants will learn a bit about how cheese is made, and different styles of cheese. The event is BYOB. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at Edgewood Cheese Shop. For more information, contact Adrienne D’Arconte at 401-261-9756 or adrienneam@cox.net.

40th Penguin Plunge

Join in on Friday, Jan. 1, and help celebrate the 40th annual Penguin Plunge for Special Olympics Rhode Island at Roger Wheeler State Beach in Narragansett. Join thousands of individuals who will be “Freezin’ for a Reason” when they take the plunge at exactly noon to raise money for Special Olympics Rhode Island. It’s going to be the “coolest event” in Rhode Island with plenty of chills, thrills, and fun for the whole family.

The Penguin Plunge for Special Olympics is one of the original New Year’s Day plunges in Rhode Island and has been a tradition for generation after generation of plungers. The Penguin Committee has been working hard to plan an event like no other, so visit www.specialolympicsri.org to get an official pledge form or use our online fundraising site at www.firstgiving.com/sori to create your own fundraising page. All proceeds from this event will benefit more than 3,000 athletes that compete year-round in over 1,600 training opportunities and athletic competitions.

Over the past 40 years the event has transformed into one of the largest and most successful fundraising events for Special Olympics Rhode Island, raising more than $2.5 million. All plungers are encouraged to raise a minimum donation of $50 for this event.

For more information, contact Tracy Garabedian, director of development, at 401-349-4900, ext. 321 or tracy@specialolympicsri.org.

New Family Performance Series

Families are invited to the new Family Performance Series, perfect for all ages, from the young to the young at heart. The series is hosted Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon, September through May, at Theatre 82 & Cafe at 82 Rolfe Square in Cranston. Entertainment will include puppetry, magic, storytelling, improv, music, and more. There is something new each Saturday, with performers and acts changing each week. Some upcoming performers include Jason Andrews Magic, BIG NAZO, and Sparky’s Puppets. Attendees pay what they can for admission, with a suggested donation of $5 for most performances. Visit www.artists-exchange.org for dates and the complete list of upcoming performers. For more information, contact 401-480-9477.

Did You Know?

The NORAD Santa Tracker program began on Dec. 24, 1955, when a Sears department store placed an advertisement in a Colorado Springs newspaper which told children that they could telephone Santa Claus and included a number for them to call. However, the telephone number was misprinted, and calls instead came through to Colorado Springs’ Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Center. Col. Harry Shoup, who was on duty that night, told his staff to give all children who called in a “current location” for Santa Claus. A tradition began which continued when the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) replaced CONAD in 1958. (Source: NORAD Santa Tracker)

To submit your news from the community, email 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. Email 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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