Sun Rise Scoops

Apple Festival

The North Central Chamber of Commerce and The Washington Trust Company present the 28th annual Apple Festival on Sept. 19-20 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Johnston Memorial Park.

Parking is available at Johnston High School, with shuttle service to the park provided by The Children’s Workshop. Look for shuttle signs, the bus will be circling around.

Celebrate the harvest with pie-baking and pie-eating contests. Get farm fresh apples from Appleland Orchard in Smithfield. Grab a bite to eat and shop with local vendors. Bring the kids to the free Kids’ Zone sponsored by Sherwin-Williams in Johnston. Music and entertainment will be provided all weekend long. If you would like to promote your business at the Apple Festival or enter the pie-baking contest, contact Jamie from the North Central Chamber at jamie@ncrichamber.com 401-404-4279.

Genealogy Group at the Mohr

The Mohr Library Genealogy Group meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. The library has yearly subscriptions to Ancestry and New England Historical Genealogical Society databases (NEHGS) on all library computers, and also publishes a monthly newsletter outlining upcoming program details and includes tips for searching.

Former programs include field trips to the State Archive and Swan Point Cemetery, as well as speakers on cemeteries, medallions found on gravestones, how to search for a particular nationality, and much more.

Meetings open to all! Join avid ancestral sleuths. Learn tips from others. All nationalities discussed.

Tanzi to speak at Cranston East

Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi, a Cranston native and one of the world’s foremost Alzheimer’s disease researchers, is coming back to his hometown on Oct. 28 to benefit the Cranston Senior Enrichment Center with his presentation, “Ending Alzheimer’s Disease by 2025.” Tickets are $25 for general admission, and $125 tickets include a VIP reception and book signing. The event will be held at Cranston High School East, Tanzi’s alma mater. Call 401-780-6000 for more information.

Sentimental Swing Dance

On Sept. 28, the Johnston Senior Center will hold a Sentimental Swing Dance where guests will be able to dance to the music of The Big Band Sentimental Swing Orchestra. There will also be wine and cheese, coffee and pastry, and raffles. Tickets are $15 per person and may be purchased at the center by calling Debbie at 401-944-3343, ext. 107. This event usually sells out, so purchase your tickets early!

Mae Gala for the Homeless

The Mae Organization for the Homeless second annual Black Tie event will be held on Sept. 26 from 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. The non-profit Mae Organization is planning on opening a wellness center in which staff will treat depression and anxiety among the homeless population. A cocktail hour will be held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., allowing attendees to browse vendor tables and silent auction items. There will be a full-course dinner and a performance by the Festival Ballet Providence. The keynote speaker will be Michael Cooley, author of “Rock Bottom,” and there will be both silent and live auctions at the event. All ticket proceeds support Mae Organization’s mission. Tickets can be purchased online at eventbrite.com or by calling Martina Javid at 401-206-1451.

Nominate an ‘Extraordinary Woman’

Until Sept. 15, Extraordinary Woman will accept all nominations to be reviewed by the selection committee. Seven women will be selected from the nomination list. Women will be recognized in the following categories: education, professional development, business development, community involvement, cultural enrichment, health, communications, politics, development, sports, exceptional caregiver, non-traditional job, public services, and extraordinary woman for the future.

To nominate a woman, contact info@extraordinarywoman.org. The nomination should include name of person being nominated, category, place of birth, address, phone number(s) and email address. Also, explain why this person deserves to be recognized.

Fall Out of Summer Festival

Artists’ Exchange is hosting its eighth annual Fall Out of Summer Arts Festival, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20 with a rain date of Sept. 27. 

The Fall Out of Summer Arts Festival is an all-day outdoor event in the lots surrounding Artists’ Exchange, complete with live music and theater, art activities and contests, food and fun. Last year’s event approached 4,000 in attendance.

Activities include a street art contest, in which contestants are armed with colored chalk, a section of pavement and the potential for limitless creativity. Entries are judged by festival attendees, and winners will receive a prize.

The festival also includes a series of original and “artsified” carnival style games such as the Escher Tessellation Toss, Mondrian Mini Golf, Warhol Ball and more. For information, contact the Artists’ Exchange at 401-490-9475.

Fundraiser to support family

Thick smoke billowed from the roof and flames shot out the windows as crews began to attack the fire. Firefighters from Johnston, Cranston and other areas battled a house fire on Granite Street on May 11.

Complicating matters was an inoperable fire hydrant near the house and extremely dry conditions. The family lost their home and everything in it. Even the shed in the yard burned taking the girls’ bikes and yard toys. A brave neighbor broke a window and saved Cody the family dog.

On Sept. 20 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Francis Farm, located at 27 Francis Farm Road in Rehoboth, Mass., will host a barbecue with all the fixings, raffles, kids activities, music and a cash bar. The cost for adults $30, and for kids under 12 is $10. For tickets and donations, please contact lexus518@verizon.net. For more information, visit www.francisfarm.net.

Garden club’s fall plant sale

The Gentian Garden Club will hold its fall plant sale Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Community House, located at 546 West Greenville Road in North Scituate. Fall is a great time to add some new perennials and late season color to your gardens. Rain or shine, you can always discover great finds.

The club’s monthly meeting for September will be held Sept. 16, beginning at 7 p.m. The program will include speaker Kristin Green, an interpretive horticulturist from Blithewold in Bristol, on making the most of your garden. Refreshments will follow. Horticulturist chair Cindy Gianfrancesco will also speak.

Gentian is always welcoming visitors and potential new members. Those interested or seeking more information may contact Linda Proulx at 401-647-3730 or email bogcrawler@msn.com.

Robert Parker to captain RPI men’s cross-country team

Robert Parker of Johnston will serve as captain of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s cross-country team, fifth-year head coach John Lynch has announced.

Parker has run 20 career meets in his first three years. He ran seven races as a freshman, finishing as high as 14th in the Liberty League Championship Meet with a personal 8K collegiate record of 26:19.0. He then had five top 10 finishes in the eight meets he competed as a sophomore. That year he won the Oneonta Airfield Invitational (26:03.1), finished fourth in the New York State Championship (26:39.8) and was ninth in the Liberty League Meet (25:49.0). Parker also set a personal best with a time of 25:38.7 at the NCAA Atlantic Regional, finishing 23rd and earning All-Region. The Raphael Academy graduate was also All-Region – and All-Liberty League – last season when he was 29th (25:52.9) at the NCAA Regional. That was one of five meets in which he competed and his best finish was 10th in the Liberty League Championship (26.01.7) which earned him All-Liberty League Second Team. A multiple Liberty League All-Academic choice, Parker also participates in track and field, running the mile, 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters during the indoor season and the 800 meters, 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters and 3,000 meter steeplechase in outdoor.

Academic News & Notes

Congratulations to Alexander Barnes of Johnston, a member of the Colgate University class of 2015, has earned the dean’s award for academic excellence for the spring 2015 semester.

Mat Franco TV special

Rhode Island magician Mat Franco, 27, a former resident of Johnston and winner of last season’s “America’s Got Talent” will have a two-hour special on NBC, “Mat Franco’s Got Talent,” airing Sept. 17 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

According to a press release from NBC, the special will follow Franco from his home in Rhode Island to Las Vegas, where he will be headlining his own show. Along the way, he will be “stopping off at incredible locations, wowing celebrities, performing street magic and visiting family friends and everyday Americans who helped make his dreams come true.”

Friends of the Mohr Public Library

Members of the Friends plan and run book sales and carry out other fundraising activities to allow Mohr Library to increase services and programs. The Friends welcome new members who are willing to provide support either through donations, membership dues, or volunteering their time. To find out more, contact them, or call the library director at 401-231-4980 (press 7).

There is an ongoing book sale in the lower level hall across from the meeting room. The Friends also hold larger sales two or three times a year. Great selections at great prices include hard cover and paperback books, fiction and non-fiction, for adults, children, and young adults. Most prices range from 25 cents to $2. Donations of gently used books are appreciated, and can be left at the library’s main desk during library hours. Receipts for tax purposes are available.

To submit your news from the community, email 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. Email 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.