By MERI R. KENNEDY Library updates COVID building guidelines The Cranston Public Library is happy to announce that in accordance with state guidance, it has updated its building use guidelines. As of May 7, the library system has made the following
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The Cranston Public Library is happy to announce that in accordance with state guidance, it has updated its building use guidelines.
As of May 7, the library system has made the following changes:
* Seating and study tables are now available at all locations
* Newspapers are available at all locations
* Reservations are no longer required for computer use, and computer use is increased to two hours per day
* The Seminar Room at the Central library may now be booked by outside groups
Mask wearing for all library patrons over 2 years old, and physical distancing (3 feet distance) is still required inside the city’s libraries. If you are sick or experiencing any symptoms of illness, we ask you that you refrain from entering the library at this time.
All Cranston Public Library locations are open regular hours for browsing, computer use, reference help and holds pickup.
For additional information, visit www.cranstonlibrary.org/guidelines.
Cranston Parks and Recreation will open registration for its Playground Program beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, May 17. Capacity at each camp location will be limited to 20 campers per week. Children must be registered for the entire week in order to maintain stable groups. No day rates are available.
This year, the department will take registration electronically through a Google Form link to be provided at the start of registration. The link will be posted on the department’s Facebook page first, and then on the department website, www.cranstonri.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation.
Once you complete the form, the department will be in touch to confirm your registration and send an invoice for the amount owed. If a site is full, you will be placed on a waiting list. Open slots will be filled from the wait list based on the time stamp of the registration form.
No payment will be due at the time of registration. You will receive an invoice via email. Payment must be made by June 25 by cash, check or money order. The office will be open to make payments only. Questions about camp should be made by email or phone to avoid crowds. Failure to pay could affect your child’s ability to attend camp.
The collaborative efforts of the OneCranston Health Equity Zone (OCHEZ), YOZ and Summer committees are happy to present the YOZ Scholarship Application.
Any Cranston family planning to attend Cranston’s Parks and Recreation Playground Camps for any sites, Cranston 21st CCLC’s Camp XL, Ocean State Kidz Club, the Cranston YMCA, the Cranston Summer Learning Initiative’s STEM Advantage, Global Science and Envirotech’s Green STEAM and Explorer Center Program can apply for full and partial scholarships to attend camp this summer.
From now until Friday, May 21, any Cranston youth can apply through the following link: www.forms.gle/ywk8bs97w5iQr6HBA.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department will be accepting summer job applications for camp counselors through May 31. Applicants must be at least 16 by July 6, 2021, and a Cranston resident. Returning applicants will be given first consideration; open positions could be limited depending on the number of previous employees returning. Applications are available online at cranstonri.com and the Cranston Parks and Recreation Department Facebook page.
Completed applications can be sent to the Parks and Recreation Department or emailed to recreation program coordinator Scott Sevegny at ssevegny@cranstonri.org.
Garden City Center will hold a Yappy Hour in the Gazebo area on Sunday, May 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Join in for the very first Yappy Hour with treats for humans and pups, a Fido-friendly photo opportunity and a chance to enter your pooch to be Garden City’s first mascot. Proceeds from this event will benefit Heart of RI Animal Rescue.
In accordance with state guidelines, capacity is limited and pre-registration is required. To register and for more information, visit www.gardencitycenter.com/event/yappy-hour. Tickets are $10 and include admission for you and your pup.
Participants can also stroll through Garden City’s dog-friendly stores (stores your pups can enter will have a “dog-friendly shop” balloon out front) and meet adoptable pups from Heart of RI Animal Rescue.
The Caroline Caprio Scholarship & Giving Fund will be holding a large Yard Sale to help raise funds to assist Rhode Island families struggling with a brain tumor diagnosis. All of the proceeds will be used to provide financial assistance and emotional support to brain tumor patients and caregivers.
The event will be held at 3284 West Shore Road in Warwick on Saturday, May 22, from 8 a.m. through 2 p.m.
Come browse and purchase all kinds of household and personal items, such as furniture, collectibles, jewelry, handbags, adult and children's clothing, sports equipment, tools, pet supplies and toys, rugs, lamps, decorative pillows, comforters and sheet sets, kitchen decor and utensils, toys, nautical décor, Christmas decor and decorations, and much more.
Mask wearing and social distancing guidelines will be in place. The rain date is the following week on May 29. If you cannot make the yard sale, consider donating at www.ccsgf.org.
For more than a year, she’s been one of the country’s most visible physicians at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, regularly appearing on CNN and launching a grassroots effort to address a lack of PPE for frontline workers.
And on Thursday, May 13, Megan Ranney, MD, will join United Way of Rhode Island’s Young Leaders Circle for a virtual Q&A event that’s being offered at no cost for all who wish to attend. It is the latest in the group’s “Learn with Leaders” series.
The event will take place via Zoom and is being held from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Registration is open and available now online.
During the virtual event, Dr. Ranney – a renowned public health expert – will take and answer questions about the coronavirus pandemic, offering her unique perspective on the past year and what lies ahead.
For additional information and to register, visit www.unitedwayri.org/get-involved/young-leaders-circle.
The Snack Bar at the Cranston Senior Enrichment Center is open with Grab & Go items from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Available items will include coffee, tea, orange and cranberry juice, hot chocolate, bottled water, muffins, bagels, toast, eggs and milk. Additional items will be available daily. Please remember brown bag lunches are available for pickup between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. For more information, follow the Cranston Senior Enrichment Center on Facebook or visit www.cranstonseniorcenter.com.
Do you know someone attending prom and in need of a dress? Alexandra’s Boutique has donated over a hundred brand new, never worn prom dresses. The sizes are indicated on the dress. If there is one you like, please call one of the youth centers to come and pick it up, free of charge. Call the Cranston Youth Center at 562-8325.
The Cranston Public Library will be holding an online presentation with veteran teacher and homeschool expert Linda Hincks on Monday, May 24, at 6:30 p.m. For further information and to register, visit www.cranstonlibrary.org/homeschooling.
Cranston Public Library is excited to welcome award-winning author and pop culture historian Martin Gitlin as he hosts a fun and enlightening presentation based on his book “The Greatest Sitcoms of All Time.” Join the fun on Crowdcast on Saturday, May 15, at 3 p.m.
Gitlin will show funny clips from many favorite shows, challenge patrons with sitcom trivia, discuss the criteria he used to rank the best of the best, and talk about how sitcoms have evolved over the decades in humor, presentation and content.
This program is free and open to the public. Register by visiting www.crowdcast.io/e/funnyprogram/register and clicking the “Save My Spot” button.
Gitlin has won more than 45 awards as a sports journalist, including first place for general excellence from Associated Press. His books have been featured in the New York Times, Time Magazine, Reader's Digest, Wall Street Journal, and other national periodicals, and his title “The Great American Cereal Book” reached No. 1 on Amazon.com in both the “Americana” and “Breakfast Book” categories.
This program is presented as part of Cranston Public Library’s Visiting Author Series thanks to generous funding from the Cranston Public Library Association. To learn more, visit www.cranstonlibrary.org.
The RSVP Program at Cranston’s Department of Senior Services is seeking volunteers to help to deliver brown bag lunches to seniors in the community, run errands for seniors and transport local homebound seniors to medical appointments.
You must be 55 years of age or older to volunteer and a BCI is required. Mileage reimbursement is given to cover travel costs. AmeriCorps Seniors will also provide insurance protection with three types of coverage – excess accident medical coverage, excess volunteer liability insurance and excess automobile liability insurance.
If you are interested in becoming an RSVP volunteer, contact Karen Porto at 780-6159 for an interview.
If you are 14 to 24 years old, CCAP’s Lean to Earn Program can prepare you for a great summer paid internship. CCAP’s youth employment, training and education programs provide a full range of services to young people 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.
Programs offered include IT and manufacturing, interactive digital media and computer science, graphic communications, employer partner internships, intro to automotive, welding, it networking and marine trades and life skills.
For more information and to apply, visit www.cognitoforms.com/CCAPL2E/summer2021realskillsforyouth or call the Cranston Skills & Youth Center at (401) 525-0869.
City Council members John Donegan, Jessica Marino and Robert Ferri will host the third annual Ward 3 Community Cleanup on Saturday, May 22, starting at 10 a.m. Participants will meet at the lower softball field at the Hugh B. Bain Middle School track. Bring gloves. For more information, email johndoneganforcranston@gmail.com or visit the event's Facebook page.
Through the Books @ Home program, the Cranston Public Library provides free home delivery of books and other materials to qualifying, homebound residents of Cranston.
It doesn’t matter if you are permanently or temporarily homebound. Books, music and videos are delivered every three weeks at no charge.
For more information about Books @ Home, call the library’s Auburn Branch at 781-6116 or visit www.cranstonlibrary.org/homebound-services.
The Cranston Public Library will be offering teens in grades six through 12 the chance to sign up for Wonderful Weekend kits. New kits will be announced every other Monday. To register, visit www.ow.ly/8Pfg50EgBG0.
Save the date – CCAP has announced plans to hold its 2021 Chip for Charity golf tournament on Wednesday, Sept. 15, at Harbor Light Golf Club in Warwick. Sponsorships and foursomes are available. For more details, contact CCAP’s Lee Beliveau at (401) 562-8353 or lbeliveau@comcap.org.
As a nonprofit community action program, CCAP needs to raise funds to assist families it serves. A large number of families CCAP serves have lost their jobs, suffered an illness, or experienced a different type of crisis, usually through no fault of their own. Last year, CCAP touched the lives of more than 40,000 people and provided over $1.2 million in uncompensated services.
Chip for Charity, presented by Neighborhood Health and Mutual of America, is CCAP’s largest fundraiser during the year to benefit its programs and services.
The Cranston YMCA will be hosting Summer Enrichment Camp and is looking forward to bringing all of its amazing enrichment opportunities back into the Y. Students will have the opportunity to swim, play outdoors, take part in STEM activities, do arts and crafts, and so much more.
The camp will run for 10 weeks, beginning June 28 to July 2. The final week will run from Aug. 30 to Sept. 3, pending the return date for Cranston Public Schools.
The cost for YMCA members is $245 per week, while the cost for non-members is $300 per week. Financial assistance is available.
For more information, contact Jess Tate, camp director, at jtate@gpymca.org.
On Thursday, May 13, and Friday, May 14, Stamp Farms, located at 219 Comstock Parkway in Cranston, will take part in a fundraiser for the West Bay Chorale.
Customers who mention West Bay Chorale at checkout when making a purchase at Stamp Farms those days will have a portion of their purchase donated to the Chorale. Items available include a variety of annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, hanging baskets and mixed containers.
West Bay Chorale is an intergenerational chorus that provides the community with secular and sacred performances. To learn more, visit www.westbaychorale.org.
For more about Stamp Farms, visit www.stampfarms.com.
The Comprehensive Community Action Program’s Emergency Housing Assistance program assists individuals and families living in Cranston, Coventry, Scituate and Foster with back rent, security deposits, mortgage assistance, late fees associated with back rent or mortgage, moving costs and utilities. Funding is limited. For more information, call CCAP at (401) 467-7013 or visit www.comcap.org.
RI Housing’s Hardest Hit Fund Rhode Island (HHFRI) program is offering zero-interest, forgivable loans to eligible Rhode Island homeowners who became unemployed or underemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are struggling to make their mortgage payments.
Loan proceeds may provide eligible homeowners with up to six months of mortgage payment assistance and a mortgage will be recorded on the homeowner’s property. Learn more about the loan program and eligibility at www.rihousing.com/hhfri.
Be Kind RI is a new program that connects volunteers to their neighbors across Rhode Island through text alerts to coordinate food deliveries from grocery stores and food pantries. To sign up, go to www.BeKindRI.org. Volunteers must be 18 or older and undergo our background check. Be Kind RI is open to those in Rhode Island experiencing COVID-19 risk factors, including seniors 65 and older, anyone with underlying health conditions, those in quarantine or isolation, anyone experiencing a lack of childcare, and those who would otherwise experience difficulty in obtaining food. For assistance signing up, call 877-958-8785.
CCAP’s VITA Preparation Assistance Program provides free tax preparation for individuals and families earning less than $60,000.
Last year, CCAP’s VITA program filed over 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 file federal and state income taxes. IRS e-file is the most accurate, safest and fastest way to file a tax return. Refunds can arrive in as little as 10 days.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, all returns will be done via drop-off. Call (401) 467-7013 for more information.
Are you bored? Lonely? Looking for new experiences? The Zero Isolation Program may be for you.
Cranston RSVP is assisting Dr. Nicholson of Quinnipiac University School of Nursing in offering an online program to enhance social integration.
You will be able to meet new people and learn about psychosocial conditions while taking part in interactive small-group activities. Seniors 60 years of age and older participate for about 90 minutes per week for six weeks.
To express interest in participating or for additional details, contact Dr. Nicholson at (203) 582-6542 or nicholas.nicholsonjr@gmail.com.
Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.
To submit your news from the community, email Meri R. Kennedy at CranstonChatter@aol.com. This includes virtual events which should be submitted two to three weeks ahead of the event. 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.
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