Memory loss presentations

The Cranston Senior Enrichment Center, located at 1070 Cranston St., will host “Memory Loss: The Basics” on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 10 a.m. with presenter Doreen Montaquila.

Is it dementia or simple age related memory loss? How do we know the difference? What makes Alzheimer’s disease different from other dementias? This presentation will provide answers.

At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26, the center will host “Good Diet & Exercise for Brain Health” with presenter Jodi DiRaimo.

Recent studies have identified a dietary pattern that can significantly reduce the risk of dementia and loss of brain function as people age. Healthy brain function depends on one’s lifestyle and especially what we eat and drink. At this presentation, attendees will learn which foods to eat and which to avoid, as well as the importance of exercise for brain health.

For additional information, follow the Cranston Enrichment Center on Facebook or visit cranstonseniorcenter.com.

Roving Roger at Central Library

During the months of January and February, the Cranston Public Library’s Central Library will host Roving Roger, a traveling exhibit created and sponsored by the Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea and the Rhode Island Department of State.

This exhibit is designed to promote awareness and understanding of Rhode Island's colonial founder, Roger Williams. A special event, “Getting to Know Roger Williams” with Marc Kohler of the Roger Williams Educational Foundation, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25.

For more information, visit cranstonlibrary.org.

Free teacher assistant training program at CCAP

Are you 18-24 years old, have a clean BCI and a high school diploma or GED? Call today to sign up for Comprehensive Community Action’s free teacher assistant training program.

The program consists of two weeks of classroom instruction, job shadowing and the ParaPro Assessment, which is the state exam for teacher assistant certification.

Classes will be held Feb. 24 through March 5 and will run for two weeks, Monday through Friday, from noon to 3 p.m. The program will be held at the Institute for Labor Studies and Research, 1540 Pontiac Ave., Cranston. Transportation will be provided if needed.

For more information or to sign up, call 562-8325 or visit comcap.org.

Animal Detectives at Central Library

Become an animal detective this winter at the Cranston Public Library’s Central Library! Students in grades three through five are invited to take part in the program, which will be held on Wednesdays through Feb. 12 at 4 p.m. Tickets will be handed out starting a half hour before each week’s program.

Throughout the program, local organizations will introduce local species, and participants will discover the role they play in the environment. Participants who attend three or more of the programs will be eligible to attend a program at the Roger Williams Park Zoo, scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 12.

For more information, visit cranstonlibrary.org.

Bowling for Animals

On Sunday, Feb. 16, Defenders of Animals will host a fundraising event at Town Hall Lanes, located at 1463 Atwood Ave. in Johnston, from 2 to 4 p.m. For $20 per person, the package includes two hours of bowling, a pizza and a pitcher of soda at each lane. For more information or to register, contact Defenders of Animals at 461-1922.

Ward 3 community meeting

Ward 3 City Councilman John Donegan will host his first community meeting of 2020 on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m. at Gladstone Elementary School. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page or contact Donegan at 644-2403 or JohnDoneganForCranston@gmail.com.

Tax assistance at library

The Cranston Public Library will host an AARP tax aide at the Central Library every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., beginning Jan. 30 and ending April 9. Each taxpayer must bring a Social Security card, photo ID and last year’s tax return, with no exceptions. There are no appointments and assistance is provided on a first come, first served basis. For more information, call AARP at 1-888-687-2277.

Laugh along with Cranston Rotary

The Rotary Club of Cranston will host a comedy night fundraiser on Friday, Jan. 31, at The Joint, located at 1150 Oaklawn Ave. in Cranston. The event will run from 6:30-10:30 p.m. and tickets cost $25 per person. A cash bar and food menu will be available.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. and will feature host Bernie Perrotty, Brian Vincent and headline comedian Bob Anderson.

To purchase tickets, visit cranstoncomedy.eventbrite.com. For more information, visit rotaryclubofcranston.org.

Event for post-9/11 veterans

The VFW of RI and the Kelley-Gazzerro VFW Post 2812 invite all post-9/11 veterans for a get-together on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 5-8 p.m. Post 2812 is located at 1418 Plainfield St. in Cranston.

Food and refreshments will be provided at no charge, and DJ Tony Weaver will provide musical entertainment.

The purpose of the event is to meet and engage post-9/11 veterans and to provide benefit claim assistance and information about VFW. For more information, contact David Lage at David.Lage@va.gov.

CCAP career exploration program

CCAP’s Learn to Earn Employment, Training, and Education Programs assist Rhode Islanders between the ages of 14 and 24 through free education, training programs, work readiness and job placement assistance. They provide a full range of services to youth enrolled in school and out of school. All enrollees are connected with a case manager to assist them in their education or employment goals throughout the program. Cash incentives and bus tickets are given to those who qualify.

Coming up is CCAP’s Learn to Earn Paid Career Exploration Program for Construction, which includes 60-hour paid construction training ($10.50 an hour), OSHA-10 certification and transportation available from Cranston High School East. Students must be 14 or 15 years of age and reside in Cranston to apply.

Classes will be held from Jan. 14 to April 9 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-6 p.m. To register, call CCAP’s Cranston Youth Center at 562-8325.

Winter story times at Hall Library

The William Hall Library will offer winter story times each week. The library will be offering Discovery Storytime on Monday mornings at 10:30 a.m. for ages 3-5, and Babies in the Hall on Thursday mornings at 10:30 a.m. for ages 0-2. No registration or tickets will be required. For more information, visit cranstonlibrary.org.

Free yoga for breast cancer survivors

The Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Foundation and Yoga at Studio Exhale offers yoga for breast cancer survivors every Sunday from 6-7:30 p.m. Yoga at Studio Exhale, 1263 Oaklawn Ave., Cranston, is the place to be to explore slow flow, gentle movement to create space in the body and eliminate stress. This class is designed to restore the nervous system and help release deeply held tensions from the body and mind. Visit gloriagemma.org for more details.

Craft Bash at Artists’ Exchange

The Artists’ Exchange, 50 Rolfe Square, Cranston, invites families to take part in free Crash Bash events on the last Saturday of every month. The expressive arts can work as a tool for strengthening students’ skills in all disciplines by offering alternative ways to think about core subjects.

Craft Bash is free and open to all ages and abilities. For more information, call 490-9475 or visit artists-exchange.org.

Family health services at CCAP

Tired of ineffective yet expensive medical care? Check out Family Health Services at the Comprehensive Community Action Program. CCAP offers affordable, 24/7, professional family health and dentistry services. The experienced staff includes physicians, nurse practitioners and other health care professionals who are caring, compassionate and highly skilled. New patients are welcome. For more information, call 384-6007.

New Hope Art Gallery

The New Hope Art Gallery’s Holiday/Winter Show remains open at the Cranston Enrichment Center, located at 1070 Cranston St. The show features hundreds of pieces of artwork from a range of artists and provides a great opportunity post-holiday shopping. To learn more, visit the gallery’s Facebook page.

Pickleball schedule

The Cranston Parks and Recreation Department is offering Pickleball at the Pastore Youth Center, located at 155 Gansett Ave. It will be held on Sundays from 4:30-7:30 p.m. through March 21. Monday and Wednesday times of noon to 2:15 p.m. will remain unchanged through the winter.

The fee is $3 per person per day. The program is open to Cranston residents and nonresidents. For more information, visit the Parks and Recreation page on the city’s website, cranstonri.com.

Cranston High School class of 1960 reunion

Cranston High School’s class of 1960 plans to hold its 60th reunion on Sept. 12, 2020, at the Cranston Country Club. The cost will be $50 per person. For more information, contact Joan Farmanian Fratterelli at 349-3922.

Toys and Tunes

Drop by Oak Lawn Branch Library, 230 Wilbur Ave., on Friday mornings from 10-11:30 a.m. this fall for Toys and Tunes, a play time program with music and stories. The program is open to ages 0-5 with a parent/caregiver. Registration is not required. For more information, visit cranstonlibrary.org.

Cookbook Club at the library

The Cranston Public Library’s Cookbook Club is a new book club for adults with a tasty twist. In this club, participants will read a different cookbook each month and come together to share the tasty recipes that lie inside their pages.

For more information or to sign up, contact Corrie at 943-9080, ext. 129, or calves@cranstonlibrary.org.

Delivery of library books

The Cranston Public Library will deliver any item that has a three-week loan period. Patrons never pay a late fee or fine because the library picks up all the materials within that three-week time frame.

Volunteers deliver books in regular or large print, as well as audiobooks, magazines, music CDs and documentary DVDs, to any homebound Cranston resident living in their own home. Due to concerns about chain of custody, the library is unable to deliver to nursing homes or assisted living facilities. To register or to become a volunteer driver, contact Karen McGrath at 781-6116 or karenmcgrath@cranstonlibrary.org.

Caregiver volunteers needed

Volunteers are being sought to provide respite services for home bound seniors. Services include providing companionship, running errands and providing transportation to medical appointments.

If you are interested in becoming an RSVP caregiver volunteer, contact Karen at 780-6159 for an interview. Volunteers must be 55 years of age or older and a BCI check is required. A mileage reimbursement is provided to cover the cost to travel.

St. David’s hall rentals

St. David’s on-the-Hill Episcopal Church, located at 200 Meshanticut Valley Parkway in Cranston, offers affordable rates to rent its upper and lower halls for events of all kinds. For more information, visit stdavidsonthehill.net/hall-rental or contact the church office Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 942-4368.

Did you know?

By the early 1600s, handmade Valentine’s Day cards were customarily sent from admirers to sweethearts. Around the year 1800, the first commercial cards appeared. Cards were usually sent anonymously.

As early as 1822, an English official reported having to hire extra postal workers on Valentine’s Day. In 1849, Esther Howland of Worcester, Massachusetts, started selling quality valentines so popular that she was called “Mother of the American Valentine.”

To submit your news from the community, email Meri R. Kennedy at CranstonChatter@aol.com. 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. Please include a daytime telephone number in case we require any further information. Be sure to check out our website at cranstononline.com.