Sun Rise Scoops

By MERI R. KENNEDY

Night of the Rising Stars

The North Central Chamber of Commerce looks forward to you joining them for a wonderful evening at May 19’s “Night of the Rising Stars.” The evening with begin with a fabulous Cocktail & Networking Hour at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. The featured guest speaker is Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea. 

The “Stars” will come out following the guest speaker – Rising Star, Community Service, Ambassador and Small Business of the Year! Student scholarships will also be awarded. Dinner tickets are $50 per person, with a selection of beef, chicken, fish or vegetarian.

For more information on becoming a sponsor or attending the event, please contact Deborah Ramos at 401-349-4674. The dinner will be held at Twelve Acres Countryside Banquet, located at 445 Douglas Pike in Smithfield.

Shang Bailey

presentation

On May 20, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the Johnston Historical Society will host Anthony Ursillo and Timothy Kee for a free, educational presentation on “Shang” Bailey and his notorious roadhouse. The program will be held at the North Scituate Library, located at 606 West Greenville Road. in North Scituate. For more information, contact Ursillo at 401-764-5901.

Johnston Historical

Society general meeting

This month’s general meeting of the Johnston Historical Society will include speaker Jim Ignasher, vice president of the Historical Society of Smithfield, who will tell lost tales of Rhode Island and New England. Ignasher is the author of “Forgotten Tales of Rhode Island,” “Remembering Smithfield: Sketches of Apple Valley” and “Rhode Island Disasters: Tales of Tragedy by Air, Sea and Rail.” The meeting will be held on May 27 at 7 p.m. at the Johnston Historical Society, located at 101 Putnam Pike in Johnston. For more information, contact Louis McGowan at 401-231-3380. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Artists’ Exchange’s

Community ‘Y-ART’ Sale

Drawing inspiration from the community yard sale, The Artists’ Exchange, a non-profit arts collaborative on Rolfe Square in Cranston, proudly presents the Springtime Community “Y-ART Sale.” The event will be held on May 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Part yard sale, part community arts event, the Y-ART Sale will feature a wide range of artisan vendors, yard sale vendors, a gallery showcase of paintings, pottery, and items made from reclaimed and repurposed objects, and hand crafted and one-of-a-kind items.

Bring your children to our free “Craft Bash” between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and “make and take” a craft project. For more information, call 490-9475 or visit www.artists-exchange.org. Artists’ Exchange is located at 50 Rolfe Square in Cranston.

St. Brigid’s

100th anniversary

St. Brigid’s Church, located at 1231 Plainfield St. in Johnston, is extending an invitation to all former and current parishioners to help celebrate the church’s 100th anniversary. The committee would like those interested to share memories, which can be mailed to the rectory or emailed to loubill47@cox.net.

On June 14, an outside Mass will be held at Goddard Park followed by a cookout, fun and games. On Sept. 20, an Anniversary Mass will be held at 10 a.m., followed by a luncheon at the Cranston Country Club at noon.

At the Mohr

“Handcrafted Teatime Stationary” with Carolyn Leone will be held on May 20 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Marian J. Mohr Memorial Library, located at 1 Memorial Ave. in Johnston. Join Carolyn for a special paper artistry class creating teatime stationary, including cards, gift card holders and more. The program will be held in the Meeting Room, and registration is required. Please contact the Reference Department at 401-231-4980.

On May 30, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., join in for an “A Victorian Afternoon.” Actress Pat Perry will perform “The Jewelry Box,” a presentation on jewelry for men and women of the Victorian Age. Sip tea like an English lady or gent, and enjoy traditional fare. This program is geared for adults and children aged 10 and up. Registration is required. For more information or to reserve a spot, call 401-231-4980, ext. 6.

A Study of Flora,

Fauna & Fancy

The Gentian Garden Club invites the public to come join a celebration of flora, fauna and fancy. Members’ talents and creativity will be showcased through floral design in the setting of the historic 19th-century Sam Tourtellot homestead. Staged in the main house and numerous out buildings, this show will incorporate the character of the homestead with each design class.

The event will be held on May 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the home of Tony and Jackie Marro, 449 Danielson Pike, North Scituate. For information and tickets, contact Carolyn Hansen at cfhansen@

verizon.net or 401-231-5864.

Chinese Night

& Chopstick Auction

The fifth annual Chinese Night & Chopstick Auction takes place on May 15 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Imperial Room at One Rhodes Place in Cranston. The cost is $15 per person for an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, and $20 per person for a play-all-night package featuring over 100 auction items. There will be a cash bar. For tickets, please call 401-467-7100.

Relay For Life

coming to Cranston

The American Cancer Society is recruiting teams from businesses, schools, families, places of worship, and more to participate in the Relay For Life of Cranston event, which will be held June 13 at Cranston High School West from noon to 12 a.m. Relay teams are committed to finishing the fight against cancer and raising funds to support the American Cancer Society’s lifesaving mission. Teams and individuals can sign up for the event by visiting www.relayforlife.org/cranstonri or by calling Kate Twitchel, community manager for Relay For Life/American Cancer Society, at 401-243-2638.

The Relay is a community-based event in which teams and individuals set up campsites at a school, park or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team has at least one participant on the track at all times. Cancer survivors and caregivers take a celebratory first lap to start each event. Four million people participated in more than 6,000 events worldwide in 2014.

The Relay includes the Survivors Lap, in which all cancer survivors at the event take the first lap around the track, celebrating their victory over cancer while cheered on by the other participants. Relay events also recognize and celebrate caregivers who give time, love, and support to their friends, family, neighbors and coworkers facing cancer.

The event also includes the Luminaria Ceremony, which takes place after dark, so all can remember those lost to cancer. Candles are lit inside of personalized bags and are placed around the Relay track as glowing tributes to those who’ve been affected by cancer.

Also featured will be the Relay Fight Back Ceremony, which symbolizes the emotional commitment all can make in the fight against cancer.

Lang’s Bowlarama to mark Mad Men’s ‘End of an Era’

Lang’s Bowlarama, Rhode Island’s most iconic 1960s retro-cool entertainment center, invites you to watch the series finale of “Mad Men” in style! Join in the fun on May 17 starting at 8 p.m. for the “End of an Era” 1960s style celebration, where you can watch the series finale a 16-foot projector TV screen in the stylish Skyline Lounge. Come dressed in your coolest, keenest, hippest ‘60s inspired outfits, or come dressed just as you are! There is no admission cost and it will feature guest bartenders, “Mad Men” style cocktails and free prize giveaways. Motif Magazine’s “Dare Me Girl,” Lulu Locks of Providence Pinup, and the Suite Tart team will be there to celebrate also.

Lang’s Bowlarama is celebrating its 55th year in 2015. A series of events commemorating the anniversary will kick off in May and run through to the actual anniversary in October. To learn more about Lang’s Bowlarama or the 55th anniversary events, please contact Dayna Mancini, director of marketing and events, at 401-944-0500. Lang’s is located at 225 Niantic Ave. in Cranston.

Goodwill Night

at McCoy

The Pawtucket Red Sox will host a Goodwill Rhode Island Night at McCoy Stadium on Monday, June 8, as the team takes on the Charlotte Knights starting at 7:05 p.m. General admission tickets are $9, and a portion of the proceeds from each ticket sold will be donated to Goodwill Industries of Rhode Island. For more information, contact Goodwill at 401-861-2080.

Goodwill Grand Raffle

Goodwill Industries of Rhode Island is bringing back its annual Grand Raffle. The drawing will be held June 15 at the organization’s offices, but those buying tickets do not have to be present to win. The cost of one ticket is $10, while two tickets will cost $15 and three tickets will cost $25. Only 700 tickets will be sold. The top prize is $1,000 cash, or seven days and six nights in Orlando, Fla. The second prize is $500 cash, and the third prize is a laptop computer. Tickets can be purchased by cash, check or money order, and can be obtained by calling Jan Young or Jeff Machado at 401-861-2080.

Did You Know?

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day. To honor the deceased, soldiers and others would decorate graves of their fallen comrades with flowers, flags and wreaths. Although Memorial Day became its official title in the 1880s, the holiday was not a legally called Memorial Day until 1967. (Source: Memorial Day Fun Facts)

To submit your news from the community, e-mail Meri R. Kennedy at SunriseScoops@aol.com. Photos in jpg format are accepted and news can range from community events, promotions, academic news and non-profit events. E-mail today and see your news in our column in the Johnston Sunrise! Please include a daytime telephone number in case we require any further information.