Cranston Chatter

By MERI R. KENNEDY
Posted 4/10/20

Editor's note: Due to the COVID-19 crisis, many organizations have canceled or postponed events scheduled for the coming weeks. We advise readers to check on the status of various events, and we will provide updates as they become

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Cranston Chatter

Posted

Editor’s note: Due to the COVID-19 crisis, many organizations have canceled or postponed events scheduled for the coming weeks. We advise readers to check on the status of various events, and we will provide updates as they become available.

Start of trout fishing season delayed

Opening day of the trout-fishing season will not occur on Saturday, April 11, as originally scheduled. The Department of Environmental Management is still working on a plan to modify opening day. For additional information and updates, visit dem.ri.gov.

Tree planting program

Cranston’s tree planting program has red oak and tulip trees available to plant in front yards this spring. The trees are free, 5-10 feet tall, and planted by a nursery. This year the city-financed program expects to plant its 200th tree. The non-profit Rhode Island Tree Council administers the program, which is returning for its sixth year in 2020. Visit the RI Tree Council (ritree.org) information.

Parks & Rec registration postponed

Due to the current crisis, the Cranston Parks and Recreation Department is presently not accepting registrations for its summer programming, including the playground program, summer tennis, arts and crafts, living arts theater, and Budlong Pool swim lessons.

Earth Day bike path cleanup postponed

Ward 3 Councilman John Donegan has announced that due to the COVID-19 crisis, an Earth Day bike path cleanup scheduled for Saturday, April 18, has been postponed until a later date. For more information, contact Donegan at JohnDoneganForCranston@gmail.com.

Meshanticut Park cleanup postponed

Ward 5 Councilman Chris Paplauskas has announced that the fifth annual Meshanticut Park cleanup scheduled for Sunday, April 19, will be postponed to a later date due to the current public health crisis.

Reunion for East class of ’65

Cranston High School East’s class of 1965 will celebrate its 55th reunion on Sept. 26, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel, 2081 Post Road, Warwick.

Come join in for dinner and dancing to music by Timmy Smith Band, and enjoy the company of old and new friends. For more information and for reservations, contact michaeljsepe@yahoo.com.

Library due dates pushed back

All due dates on current Cranston Public Library loans have been extended to May 1. Materials should not be returned until the city’s libraries reopen. Fines will be waived from March 1 through the end of the current public health crisis.

Please do not drop donations at the library, as staff cannot safely handle donations at this time.

Pawtuxet Village Farmers Market

The Pawtuxet Village Farmers Market is scheduled to open on Saturday, May 2. The market will be open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon until late October. It is held at 60 Rhodes Place in Cranston. On June 13, the market moves to the parking lot of the William Hall Library at 1825 Broad St. due to the Gaspee Days Parade. More information can be found at pawtuxetmarket.com and on the market’s Facebook page.

Historical Society cancels events

All Cranston Historical Society events are canceled until further notice. The next membership meeting is scheduled for May 19 at 7 p.m. and is open to the public. For more information, call 944-9226.

Community Garden

Cranston’s only community garden, the Edgewood Community Garden at Cherry Woods, is located behind Edgewood Highland Elementary School on Pawtuxet Avenue. The garden is run by the West Bay Land Trust, and the cost for a 4-by-16-foot plot is $25. New gardeners are welcome, but spots go quickly. Contact Lisa Gibb at lisagibb2@verizon.net for more information.

New Hope Art Gallery opening on hold

The New Hope Art Gallery located at the Cranston Enrichment Center has postponed its Spring Show opening scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, and its open call for art. New dates will be announced as they become available.

Statewide Business After Hours rescheduled

The Statewide Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event originally scheduled for March 26 has been postponed until Tuesday, May 19, at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet. The event will run from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Those who have purchased a ticket or display table for this event will be contacted regarding the new date and arrangements. Chamber members and non-members are invited to attend.

For more information, contact your local Chamber of Commerce.

Medicare eligibility

Coronavirus is presenting many challenges in the Rhode Island community for Medicare eligibles. Help with understanding Medicare health insurance is becoming an issue as companies transform their business processes. Luckily, local Medicare health plan agents are available and can operate remotely. Get no-cost help understanding Medicare health plan benefits from multiple insurance companies. We Can Help You Organization is here to assist. Call today at 241-7985.

Cranston Rotary scholarships

Once again, the Cranston Rotary Club will award four scholarships to one graduating senior from each of the four Cranston high schools.

Students are invited to apply to their scholarship before April 10. Awards will be made at Rotary dinner meeting on June 10 at the Edgewood Yacht Club. The award amount varies each year based on the success of the club’s fundraising efforts. Each award will be at least $1,000.

All applications will be reviewed by a committee of Rotarians. Students can download an application for the scholarships at rotaryclubofcranston.org.

Warwick Vets to hold 60th reunion

Warwick Veterans Memorial High School’s class of 1960 has scheduled its 60th reunion for Sept. 12 at the Shriner’s Imperial Room, 1 Rhodes Place, Cranston. A social hour will be held from 12-1 p.m. and a lunch buffet will run from 1-4 p.m. The cost is $35 per person.

Please respond to Kathy Bouthillier, 94 Colonel John Gardner Road, Narragansett, RI 02882. Payment must be received by July 22. Tickets will not be available for purchase at the door.

For questions, call Sally (Anderson) Allen at 783-0205. The committee is seeking help locating classmates.

Youth Art Contest at zoo

Roger William Park Zoo’s third annual Youth Art Contest on Endangered Species is underway. The zoo is currently closed; however, the contest continues.

In celebration of Endangered Species Day on May 15, the zoo is accepting art entries from local K-12 students and homeschoolers in the New England area depicting threatened/endangered species. Endangered Species Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of protecting endangered species and their habitats, and what can be done to help protect them.

All entries are to be submitted electronically. Students’ artwork must be original. Computer-generated and traced images will not be judged.

All artwork must depict threatened/endangered species. Each art entry must also include a short explanation as to why saving the chosen species/subject from extinction is important.

Entries must be received by April 19. Late entries will not be judged.

All artwork becomes the property of Roger Williams Park Zoo. Submission of the artwork grants the zoo a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to publish a student’s/child’s artwork in its editorial, educational, and promotional print and digital materials, and on social media. All published artwork will be credited “Artist’s Name.”

For additional information, visit rwpzoo.org. Surveys for Health Equity Zone

The Cranston Health Equity Zone community surveys are now live. There is an adult survey (available in English, Spanish, and Khmer) and a teen survey. The survey will ultimately be used to inform initiatives to improve health in Cranston. Everyone who takes the survey will be entered in to win one of five raffle prizes. Results will be reported back to the community in the spring.

The adult survey can be found at surveymonkey.com/r/9SYXM3W, while the teen survey is available at surveymonkey.com/r/35SB2SX.

For additional information, contact karrington@comcap.org or 714-7004.

Diversity Commission survey

The city’s Diversity Commission has been meeting for several months to ensure that the city is effectively reaching out to its citizens regarding employment opportunities for all. It is currently asking for input from residents and participation in a three-minute community assessment survey regarding the city’s employment strategies. The survey is available in multiple languages and can be found at bit.ly/2RiYOZc.

50th reunion for Cranston East

Cranston High School East class of 1970 will hold its 50th reunion on Aug. 8 at the Cranston Country Club. Cocktail hour starts at 6 p.m. followed by a buffet dinner and music by Tommy Tunes. The Reunion Committee is seeking help in locating classmates. Please send information to Jim Brailsford at jimbo521@cox.net or Barbara Russo at twinn52@yahoo.com.

Call for poetry

Cranston-based nonprofit Notable Works has announced a call for poetry submissions for consideration in its next publication. The theme is “Voices of the Earth: People Helping People/Resilience.”

Poetry submissions may be emailed to noreeninglesi@cox.net or mailed to Notable Works Publication and Distribution Co. Inc., PO Box 8122, Cranston, RI 02920. Those whose work is selected for publication will receive a complimentary copy of the book upon its release.

The deadline for submissions is May 1. For more information, visit notableworks.org.

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.

Kids can tee off with CLCF

CLCF Golf has announced its 10th season of instructional golf. CLCF’s Birdie Golf and Eagle Golf programs are open to all Cranston residents aged 6-17 and will be available on a limited basis to 6- to 17-year-old residents of nearby communities.

CLCF Golf welcomes back PGA professional Mike Hughes, director of golf and head coach at Brown University. It also welcomes the addition of Todd Campbell, director of the Golf Academy at Mulligan’s Island.

CLCF Golf meets on Monday afternoons, May 4, May 11 and May 18 and June 1, June 8, June 15 and June 22 at the Mulligan’s Island driving range, located at 1000 New London Ave., Cranston.

CLCF’s Birdie Golf program, which runs from 4-5 p.m., is geared toward beginning golfers with less than three years of experience. It focuses on the basic fundamentals of golf safety, swings, chipping, and putting.

CLCF’s Eagle Golf program, which runs from 5:15-6:15 p.m., is for more experienced golfers who have a solid understanding of golf safety. It provides advanced instruction on full swing, pitching, chipping and putting.

For more information, visit clcfsports.org.

Did you know?

Earth Day 2020 will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 22. This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of this day. On Earth Day, enjoy the lovely scent of fresh air, clean up some litter, plant a tree, or simply enjoy companionship with nature! While we are social distancing and you are taking walks through your neighborhood, why not pick up some trash (with gloves on) along the way? Most, if not all, Earth Day cleanups have been canceled this year due to COVID-19.

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.

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