Pontiac Free Library would like you to join them on March 19 at 11 a.m. for an Irish traditional music concert with uilleann pipes, whistles and vocals performed by Keegan Loesel of Keegan-Irish-Music. Register by calling 401-737-3292 or by visiting their website www.pontiacfreelibrary.org.

Visit the Easter Bunny & Hunt for Eggs

The City of Cranston Parks and Recreation are hosting the egg hunt again this year on April 9 at Cooney Field (field next to Bain Middle School). In the event of inclement weather, the event will be inside the Pastore Youth Center.

There are designated times based on age. For age group “taking steps” to Pre-K, the hunt will be from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Age group K through second grade will be from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Easter Bunny plans to visit and photo opportunities will be available. Be sure to bring your camera. There will also be several Easter Baskets to be won.

Free workshops to address caregiving and chronic pain

The Southern Providence County Regional Prevention Coalition has joined forces with the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH) and Rhode Island Patient Information Network (RIPIN) to offer a series of six-week virtual workshops that address chronic pain and caregiver challenges.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers (18+) for six weeks starting March 16, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Feeling overwhelmed, alone or isolated? Are you having sleep problems and are worried, sad or depressed? This workshop offers tools to help you manage your own emotions, stress, physical health and will provide tips for communicating effectively with loved ones.

Chronic Pain Self-Management (55+) for six weeks starting March 17. from 9:30 a.m. to 11a.m. Do you have chronic pain, stress, fatigue or sleep problems? Do you need help managing your medications and symptoms? This workshop empowers adults with chronic conditions to live productive lives and teaches patients to evaluate treatments and make an action plan. For a more detailed description of the workshops, visit http://spcprevention.org/events or contact Pam Taylor at 401-830-1788. The coalition will enroll if you call on Thursday.

NAMI-RI: Free Virtual Family-To-Family course begins April 13

The Rhode Island chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness is now accepting registration for their Spring 2022 virtual Family-to-Family course which begins on Wednesday, April 13, 2022. This is a free, eight-session educational program for family, significant others and friends of people with mental health conditions. It is a designated evidenced-based program, which means that research shows that the program significantly improves the coping and problem-solving abilities of the people closest to a person with a mental health condition.

NAMI-Rhode Island’s Family-to-Family course is taught by trained family members who have lived experience with a loved one, and includes presentations, discussions and interactive exercises.

For more information on the Family-to-Family curriculum and registration requirements, visit namirhodeisland.org or call 401-331-3060 or email beth@namirhodeisland.org.

Community Night at the Senior Center

Community Health Celebration Night will be held on Tuesday, March 29 at 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Cranston Senior Enrichment Center The public is invited, free of charge, to join them for this event featuring local community agencies focused on healthy living for your whole family. Light refreshments will be served. Raffle prizes, kids crafts, giveaways, music and more.

Who doesn’t love a hearty dinner of pasta and meatballs, good friends and good times! Take the family out and spend an evening with them. Dinner includes their signature pasta and meatballs, garlic bread, salad and dessert. They will have music, a photo booth and awesome raffles.

Rotary Club of Cranston to hold Touch a Truck

Save the date! The Cranston Rotary Club will hold its Spring Touch a Truck event Sunday, May 22 at Garden City Center. More details to follow. Interested in bringing your vehicle? Email the club at CranstonRotaryClub@gmail.com.

Citizens’ Police Academy to be held

Are you interested in learning about law enforcement? If you answered “yes,” then the Cranston Police Citizens’ Academy may be for you.

CPD Training Division will provide this unique opportunity to a limited number of people. If accepted, you will take part in classroom presentations and have the chance to participate in police scenario training. Through these experiences and classroom conversations, you will gain a better understanding of law enforcement.

To be considered, you must be at least 18 years old and must complete the electronic registration form. Upon completion, you will be contacted by a member of the Cranston Police Training Division. This 10-week program will meet on Wednesday nights 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. from April 13 to June 15.

Registrations close April 1, 2022. It is free to all. This program is a hands-on learning experience about the inner workings of the Police Dept. Topics include Patrol Functions, Detectives, BCI, Firearms, K-9 and more. Apply now at Cranstonpoliceri.com. For more information, contact Officer Mike Janson at 477-5155 or email mjanson@cranstonpoliceri.com.

Volunteers Needed

Operation Stand Down Rhode Island is requesting volunteers to help for the 2022 Boots on the Ground for Heroes Memorial. Volunteers are needed for setup, weekend of help and breakdown. Setup days are as followed: May 24, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; May 25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; May 26, 9 a.m. to noon; May 27, 9 a.m. to noon and noon to 4 p.m. If you are a corporate office or company who is interested in volunteering, each person volunteering needs to sign up through the OSDRI online registration. If your company sends out an internal volunteering portal, you will still need to sign up with OSDRI at our online portal as well. This helps us correctly account for how many people are attending to help. Set up will be at Fort Adams in Newport. Set up duties consist of getting out boots, cleaning up/shining boots, lacing boots, lining up boots on a predesigned grid, cleaning the boots off, attaching name placards, stuffing boots and placing out American flags. Volunteers should be physically able to bend down/walk.

We will also need volunteers for the actual event itself. Volunteers to assist with band setup/breakdown, parking in the main lot, assisting at both the entrance and at the exit of the fort and other miscellaneous duties. We are looking for two to four people to fill each volunteer shift. The following shifts are available: May 28, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.; May 29, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.; May 30, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Break down will be on May 31 at 8 a.m. Break down duties consist of picking up boots, storing boots, picking up tag chains, picking up American Flags and other miscellaneous duties. This is also a labor-intensive activity which needs volunteer assistance. Please consider signing up for this activity as well as it is just as important as set up. If anyone is interested in volunteering, they must sign up through the link: https://osdri.charityproud. org/Volunteer Registration/ Index/3308. Please be advised that you need to move the calendar to May 2022 in order to view the details. Questions or concerns can be directed to Amanda Driscoll at adriscoll@osdri.org or 401.383.4730.

The Tomorrow Fund Stroll

The Tomorrow Fund is back at Garden City Center for its 19th annual Tomorrow Fund Stroll ‘n Roll this April 3. Enjoy a morning of laughter while strolling and rolling through Garden City Center to benefit Tomorrow Fund patients and their families. More information to come.

Bring on the percussion

Cranston Combined Percussion Band competition will be on Saturday, April 2 at Cranston East gym at 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 for the public and $8 for students.

Schools performing along with Cranston Combined are Bishop Hendricken, Bishop Feehan and Dartmouth High School, with a 30-minute percussion clinic after their performance. Haven Brothers will set up a truck for cooked food right outside the doors.

Walk and Talk at Rocky Point

Come join the “Rocky Point Pacers” for a walk around Rocky Point every Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9 a.m., weather permitting. They meet at the gate on Rocky Point Avenue. Get some sunshine and burn off some holiday pounds.

Prepare RI High School Internships Program

Calling all RI public high school juniors! The 2022 PrepareRI High school Internship Program is accepting applications to participate in on-site/in-person, paid summer experiential learning internships with local employers across the state.

This program will help you earn, learn, and connect with employers across Rhode Island. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Visit https://skillsforri.com/prepareri for more information.

Consider donating blood

The Rhode Island Blood Center is in need of blood. Individuals wishing to donate must book an appointment at the donation center; walk-ins are only accepted if safe distancing allows at the person’s time of arrival.

Nearby areas to donate include The Shops at Greenwood, which is located at 615 Greenwich Ave., in Warwick. Sign up by visiting www.ribc.org.

Arts Scholarships for youth now open to register

Do you know a student aged 11 – 14 who loves to create and to perform? Encourage them to apply to our ARTS Scholarships 2022 program. Applications and guidelines are now available at www.ppacri.org/artsscholarships.

The ARTS Scholarships 2022 program, sponsored by the Textron Charitable Trust and the PPAC Annual Fund with support from WPRI 12 and Ocean State Charities Trust, offers young artists an opportunity to participate in local summer arts education program that will broaden their experience in their chosen area of study.

Qualified students must be aged 11 – 14 by June 1 of this year and reside in and attend school in Rhode Island.

Did you know?

Bring on March 20, 2022! You may have heard that the spring equinox is the official first day of spring, and it’s true that this auspicious event traditionally marked the start of spring for many different cultures as well as the start of the new year on ancient Indian and Persian calendars. Even today, the spring or “vernal” equinox is often used to indicate the first day of spring. What it really signifies, though, is the astronomical start of spring as opposed to the meteorological one. Meteorological seasons are grouped by months and are based on weather and temperature shifts. Meteorologists and climatologists agree that the first real day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere should be March 1. (Source: Spring Fun Facts)

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.