Sun Rise Scoops

Meet the Chamber of Commerce

Mayor Joseph Polisena invites the Johnston business community to an informal meeting with the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at the Johnston Senior Center, 1291 Hartford Ave. This is an opportunity to meet the staff of the Chamber and have a discussion about what your needs are and what the organization offers. Light refreshments will be provided. All businesses are welcome. There is no fee to attend, but pre-registration is required. Please call 401-334-1000 or email lpalagi@nrichamber.com.

Tri-Town offers free tax prep to qualified applicants

Tri-Town Community Action Agency is looking for taxpayers to apply for free tax preparation through the agency's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

"Last year, our VITA volunteers prepared more than 640 federal and 700 state tax returns for clients, providing help to local families through refunds totaling more than $1 million, an average of almost $2,000 per family," Tri-Town CEO Joseph DeSantis explained. "And because our program is free, clients also saved an estimated $145,000 for the costs of private tax preparation."

Free tax preparation is available to income-qualified individuals, who generally make less than $54,000 in annual income. As a result, many applicants are also eligible for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), potentially increasing their tax refund, DeSantis said.

For more information about Tri-Town's VITA program, call 401-519-1913 or visit tri-town.org.

Solemnity of St. Brigid's 100th anniversary

Parishioners of St. Brigid Parish, 1231 Plainfield St. in Johnston, are proud to be celebrating their Patronal Feast, the Solemnity of St. Brigid, on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 5 p.m., and Sunday, Feb.7 at the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Masses. Father Robert Rochon, church pastor, will bless and distribute butter after each mass to emulate Brigid's kindness to others by providing dairy products to the needy of her village. Confirmation candidates will also emulate their patroness saint by sponsoring a "Souper Bowl of Caring" and will be accepting donations for the food pantry of St. Vincent DePaul in Cranston. All are invited to join us in this joyous celebration. For more information please call 401-942-0576.

At the Mohr

On Feb. 29 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and/or March 2 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., participants will read and discuss "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America" by Erik Larson. This is a true tale of the 1893 World's Fair and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death.

The Marian J. Mohr Memorial Library is located at 1 Memorial Ave. For more information, contact Michelle Surprenant, desk assistant/program specialist, at 401-231-4980, ext. 5.

Children's programs at the Mohr

Storytime has resumed, with stories, songs, puppets, finger play, and a simple craft for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and their caregivers. All storytimes are free and open to the public. No registration is needed. Times are: infants to three-year-olds, Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.; two- to and three-year-olds, Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.; and three- to five-year-olds, Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.

The Lego Club will meet every second Thursday of the month -Feb. 11, and March 10 - from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Play with 10,000 brand new LEGO bricks donated by LEGO systems! Geared for ages five and up. No registration needed.

Pajama Storytime will be held on Jan. 12 and Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. Families with children ages four and older are invited to join Ms. Dolores and enjoy some books, songs, rhymes, and literacy activities. No registration needed.

Saturday drop-in crafts also will continue, with several projects for kids and parents to do together. It is held every Saturday between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Not appropriate for children under three, as small parts might present a hazard.

Free file briefing

Join Congressman Jim Langevin, U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, General Treasurer Seth Magaziner, and other community leaders for the third annual Free File Briefing and Demo to highlight the IRS and Rhode Island free file programs, which provide free, online federal and state income tax preparation and e-filing services to lower and moderate income taxpayers. The event will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5 at the Cranston Public Library, located at 140 Sockanosset Cross Road. Following the briefing, participants can take advantage of a one-hour interactive free file demonstration. To RSVP, please contact Lori Baux by email at MLBaux@aol.com or call 202-265-8148. For more information about free file, visit irs.gov/freefile, tax.ri.gov, or taxprephelp.org.

Cranston Senior Guild meeting

The Cranston Senior Guild will meet Wednesday, March 2, at 1 p.m. at Tamarisk Assisted Living, located at 3 Shalom Drive in Warwick. Christopher Carlow, owner of Natures Healing of Coventry, will teach Tai Chi. The class is free, and open to beginners or those with experience.

After the class, the Senior Guild will have a short meeting followed by refreshments and a raffle. All men and women ages 55 years and older are welcome to join. Participants do not have to live in Cranston.

How to secure a business loan

Are you a business owner looking to obtain financing to grow your operation? Don't know who to approach, how to prepare, what lenders are looking for, or how your proposal will be evaluated? Then plan to attend a dynamic, insightful workshop where you will learn how to think like a lender and improve your chances for success.

Sponsored by the RI Small Business Development Center and the RI Society of CPAs, "How to Secure a Business Loan" will be held on Feb. 12 at the RI Society of CPAs, located at 40 Sharp Drive in Cranston, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. For more information, call 401-874-7232.

Lucchino to address Chamber

The North Central Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual dinner on Feb. 9 featuring keynote speaker Larry Lucchino, chairman of the Pawtucket Red Sox. The event will be held at Twin River Casino Event Center, 100 Twin River Road in Lincoln, West Entrance.

It is said that Lucchino is the only person to have a Final Four watch, a Super Bowl ring and four World Series rings (three with the Red Sox). He will talk about his experiences and what's next for the PawSox.

The Chamber will additionally be announcing the recipients of the distinguished Barbara Burlingame and Ben Mondor awards.

For tickets and more information, contact the Chamber at 401-334-1000. Single ticket price per member is $100, and single ticket price per non-member is $150.

LLS fundraiser

Jamison Evans, a Coventry High School junior, lives by the phrase "Tikkun Olam," or "Repair the World." He is a candidate for LLS (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) Student of the Year. On Feb. 12 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Alex and Ani's Cranston headquarters at Chapel View, Jamison and his team invite members of the community to a reception including refreshments and a selection of jewelry ahead of Valentine's Day. A portion of each purchase goes to the research and treatment of childhood cancer, and Jamison's personal goal of raising $18,000. To follow Jamison's outreach or to make a donation to his campaign, visit tinyurl.com/jamisonevans.

Academic News & Notes

Congratulations to Mackenzie Carroll of Johnston, who was named to the fall 2015 semester dean's list at Hofstra University in New York.

Congratulations to Anthony Macari of Johnston, who was named to the fall 2015 semester dean's list at Lyndon State College in Vermont.

Gentian Garden Club

The Gentian Garden Club's next meeting will be held on Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. at the North Scituate Community house. This month's program will be a cooking demonstration presented by club member Ann Huntoon. "From Harvest to Haute Cuisine" will be the topic. Also that evening, horticultural chair Cindy Gianfrancesco will speak on "The AAA of Vegetables" - asparagus, avocado and artichoke.

February is a busy month for many members of the club. Gentian takes an active role in the Rhode Island Flower and Garden Show, held this year on Feb. 18 through the 21 at the Rhode Island Convention Center. This event showcases garden displays and has many garden marketplace vendors. There are also demonstrations and lectures throughout the four-day event. Club members will be working with committees, submitting entries and volunteering as hostesses at the show.

Leader Nancy Laurie and Chair Jackie Marro will lead juniors in making floral arrangements with a Valentine theme on Feb. 10 at the North Scituate Library.

For more info on the Gentian Garden Club and its activities, contact Linda Proulx at 401-647-3730 or bogcrawler@msn.com. Gentian welcomes visitors and potential new members.

Did You Know?

Valentine's Day chocolate boxes were introduced in 1868 by Richard Cadbury. This year it is estimated that more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day. (Source: Valentine's Fun Facts)

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 Sun Rise! Please include a daytime telephone number in case we require any further information.