Troop 6 Macaroni Dinner

On March 10, Boy Scout Troop 6 will host a Macaroni Dinner at the Church of the Annunciation, 175 Oaklawn Ave., Cranston. The event will run from 3-6 p.m. with the last seating at 6 p.m. There will also be silent auction items available to bid on. The donation for the dinner is $10 per person. Children age 5 and under will be admitted at no cost.

Softball league

The Cranston Parks and Recreation Department is currently accepting teams for its men’s softball league at the Atwood Avenue softball field. The entry fee is $800 per team. Teams are guaranteed two games per week. The league is comprised of two divisions with games played on Monday and Wednesday and Tuesday and Thursday. The season runs from April to July. Forms are available on the Parks and Recreation page on city’s website, cranstonri.com.

Tree Planting Program

The city of Cranston has announced its 2019 Neighborhood Tree Planting Program, which is free to all eligible property owners. The program is being offered through the Rhode Island Tree Council. An information packet, application and waiver forms can be found on the city’s website, cranstonri.com. For more information, contact the Rhode Island Tree Council at 764-5885 or the city’s Officer of Constituent Affairs at 780-3123.

Musician Joanne Lurgio to debut at Character’s Café

Joanne Lurgio, an award-winning singer, songwriter and recording artist, will make her debut performance March 10 at Character’s Café, 82 Rolfe Square, Cranston. She will be performing from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., providing acoustic music during Sunday brunch. Lurgio is currently working on her fourth full-length album, “Crossing Jordan,” which is planned for a spring release.

Summer jobs at Parks & Rec

Summer job applications will be available to download from the Cranston Department of Parks & Recreation’s page on the city’s website, cranstonri.com, between April 1 and May 3. Applicants must be 16 years old by the time of employment and reside in Cranston. Applications from 15-year-olds will be accepted provided the applicant will turn 16 by June 24, when all programs and facilities open. Applications will be accepted for lifeguards, pool attendants, pool maintenance workers and playground counselors. Lifeguard candidates must provide certification or proof of class/re-certification if not yet certified. Cranston Senior Guild

The next meeting of the Cranston Senior Guild will be held March 6 at 1 p.m. at Tamarisk Assisted Living, 3 Shalom Drive, Warwick. After a short meeting, Fran Ostendorf, editor of Jewish Rhode Island, will talk about the newspaper, which was previously called The Jewish Voice. Refreshments will be served, and there will be a raffle. Men and women age 55 and older are welcome to join the Cranston Senior Guild. Dues are $12 a year. Cranston residency is not required.

Call for artists

New Hope Art Gallery, 1070 Cranston St., has issued an open call for submissions for its upcoming Spring Show. Submissions will be accepted Monday, March 11 through Wednesday, March 13, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. There is a registration fee of $10 for up to five pieces of ready-to-hang art. All artists are welcome. Submissions may not contain nudity or political or violent themes because the gallery is housed in a public building, the Cranston Enrichment Center. The Spring Show opens April 2 from 4-7 p.m. For more information, visit the New Hope Art Gallery’s Facebook page. Ash Wednesday services

Oak Lawn Community Baptist Church, 229 Wilbur Ave., Cranston, will host its Ash Wednesday services on March 6 at noon and 7 p.m. For more information, visit olcbaptistchurch.com or call 944-0864.

Winter Clearance

Lydia’s Luxury Items for Less will hold a Winter Clearance Sale on March 2 from 10 a.m. to noon. The new and gently used boutique is located at the Church of the Transfiguration, 1665 Broad St., Cranston.

Academic Decathlon seeking volunteers

Rhode Island Academic Decathlon is actively recruiting volunteers for its state competition, to be held Sunday, March 10, at the Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick. Volunteers will evaluate the speech and interview skills of high school students or assist with exams and event management. Most volunteers serve from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Training is provided on the day of the event. Sixteen teams from high schools across the state will be competing. For more information, visit acdec.net or email frank.lenox@acdec.net or jen.randall@acdec.net.

Tax time at CCAP

Comprehensive Community Action Program, or CCAP, is now offering its VITA Preparation Assistance Program, which provides free tax assistance services for individuals and families earning less than $54,000 a year. The program runs through May 1.

Last year, CCAP’s VITA program filed more than 1,000 federal tax returns, helping Rhode Island families receive $2 million in refunds without any cost. The program’s volunteers are trained and certified by the IRS and will help taxpayers file federal and state income tax returns.

CCAP’s tax preparation services are offered on the lower level of the agency’s Cranston headquarters, 311 Doric Ave. Call 467-7013 to schedule an appointment.

CHSE Indoor Percussion and Color Guard Competition

Enjoy the sights and sounds of more than 20 indoor percussion and color guard groups as Cranston High School East hosts a New England Scholastic Band Association competition for the fourth consecutive year. The event will be held in the Cranston East gymnasium on Saturday, March 16. Doors open at 3 p.m. Color guard performances begin at 4 p.m. and percussion performances start at 6:30 p.m. There will be an intermission between the performances, and raffles and a full concession stand will be available. Admission costs $10 for adult and $8 for seniors and students. Children age 5 and under will be admitted free of cost. For more information, visit the “CHSE Indoor Percussion & Color Guard Competition” event page on Facebook.

Statewide Business After Hours

A Statewide Business After Hours event will be held March 26 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, 60 Rhodes Place, Cranston. Chamber of Commerce members and non-members from across Rhode Island are invited to attend. The event will feature more than 120 display tables and attendees can enjoy food provided by Russell Morin Fine Catering while making business connections that will last. Display tables are available for chamber members only. For more information, contact your local Chamber of Commerce.

To benefit local shelters

The community is invited to join BankNewport and OceanPoint Insurance this winter in supporting local shelters by donating adult and children’s socks during the “Kind Heart, Warm Soles” collection drive, which continues through March 2 at all BankNewport and OceanPoint locations.

Socks are among the most needed items at homeless shelters, yet among the least often donated. Socks gathered during the two-week collection period will benefit the following six local shelters: East Bay Coalition for the Homeless (Riverside), Harrington Hall (Cranston), Lucy’s Hearth (Middletown), Providence Rescue Mission, Welcome House of South County (Wakefield) and Woonsocket Homeless Shelter.

United Way 2-1-1

The United Way of Rhode Island’s 2-1-1 Outreach RV will be at the Cranston Public Library’s Central Library, 140 Sockanosset Cross Road, on the first Monday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon. The Outreach RV provides a free, confidential resource for assistance with housing, food, child care and other needs. For more information, visit uwri.org.

St. Patrick’s/St. Joseph’s celebration

On March 16 at 7 p.m., the Kelley-Gazzerro VFW Post, 1418 Plainfield St., Cranston, will host its St. Patrick’s/St. Joseph’s Day celebration. The day’s menu will include Italian favorites as well as a boiled dinner. Entertainment will be provided by Vini Ames. Tickets cost $25 per person and reservations must be made by March 12. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Checks may be made payable to Kelley-Gazzerro VFW, attn: St. Pat Celebration, and mailed to the above address.

Tuesday Tech Tutor at William Hall

Cranston Public Library’s William Hall Library has added a new technology assistance program service for patrons. Tuesday Tech Tutor tackles terrible technology troubles that patrons may encounter. Library patrons may drop in anytime between 4-6 p.m. every Tuesday to have a librarian help navigate new technology skills or solve computer problems. No appointment or registration is necessary.

“We have many people who need assistance with things like attaching documents to emails, downloading ebooks, printing and more,” branch librarian Adrienne Girard said. “I am so happy we’re able to provide this new service to our patrons.”

For questions or more information, call William Hall Library at 781-2450.

Hall rentals at St. David’s

St. David’s on the Hill Episcopal Church, 200 Meshanticut Valley Parkway, Cranston, is offering affordable rates to rent its upper and lower halls for special occasions and events. For more information, visit stdavidsonthehill.net/hall-rental or call the church office at 942-4368 during regular hours, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Baby Book Boogie

Hosted by the Cranston Public Library’s Oak Lawn Branch, Baby Book Boogie will be held every Friday morning.

Children ages 0-2 and their caregivers are invited to help a book come to life through music and movement. We will also sing and dance along to favorite childhood songs. Registration is not required, but they will give out free tickets half an hour before the program opening at 10 am. The program is limited to 25 children and their caregivers.

The Oak Lawn Library is located at 230 Wilbur Ave. For more information, call 942-1787.

Did You Know?

The name of March comes from Martius, the first month of the earliest Roman calendar. It was named after Mars, the Roman god of war, and an ancestor of the Roman people through his sons Romulus and Remus. (Source: March Fun Facts)

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