Sun Rise Scoops

By MERI R. KENNEDY

Comedy benefit for Heart Walk

A Funny 4 Funds comedy event to benefit the American Heart Association Heart Walk will be held Friday, April 1, at the Cranston Country Club, located at 69 Burlingame Road in Cranston. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the show begins at 8:30 p.m. Light fare will be provided, and a cash bar will be available. There will also be raffles and a 50/50 drawing. Tickets are $40, and may be obtained by contacting Melissa Fowler at 978-835-8267 or melissa.a.maxwell@gmail.com.

Chamber’s Legislative Reception

The Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce and its partners from the Chamber of Commerce Coalition will host the annual Legislative Reception on March 3 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will be held in the Bell Room at the State House, with complimentary valet parking available at the Smith Street entrance.

The reception is an opportunity for business leaders from around the state to meet with colleagues and elected officials to discuss business issues and concerns they may have in a relaxed and informal setting. The Northern RI Chamber of Commerce coordinates the Chamber of Commerce Coalition, which is the largest business advocacy and lobbying organization in the state, representing more than 7,500 participating businesses and 70,000 employees.

Hors d’oeuvres and a complimentary bar will be available. The cost to attend is $20 per person. For more information or to place a reservation, contact 401-334-1000.

Bowl-a-thon for animals

Defenders of Animals will host a Bowl-a-thon at Town Hall Lanes, 1463 Atwood Ave. in Johnston, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 28. The cost is $20 per person and includes two hours of bowling, a pizza, and a pitcher of soda for each lane. For more information or to reserve your spot, call Defenders of Animals at 401-461-1922.

Gotta Have Sole

Foundation Scholarship

Gotta Have Sole Foundation Inc. has announced a Scholarship Program to provide extraordinary teens in need with the funds to take a step forward. Five $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to incoming first-year students to pursue higher education. Requirements and application materials can be found at gottahavesole.org/ghs/scholarship. Applications will be accepted through 5 p.m. on March 5, and winners will be announced on April 11.

Academic News & Notes

Johnston resident Olga Diponte has achieved a perfect 4.0 grade point average at Goodwin College, earning a spot on the president’s list and dean’s list.

The following Johnston residents were among 1,238 students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) named to the dean’s list for academic excellence for the fall 2015 semester. Congratulations to Kalyn Ricciuti, who is a member of the class of 2019 majoring in biomedical engineering, and Justin Tavares, who is a member of the class of 2019 majoring in aerospace engineering.

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.

Volunteers needed at Tri-Town

The Tri-Town Community Center needs volunteers to help with its food distribution program. Hours are the first three Wednesdays of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Also sought are people to help relocate the food program to Emanuel Avenue at a date and time to be determined. Background checks are required. Tri-Town will cover the costs for the background checks, and the Health Center is available to conduct physical exams to ensure the fitness of volunteers.

If interested, please call 401-519-1917.

Family Performance Series

Families are invited to join in for the ongoing Family Performance Series, perfect for all ages, from the young to the young at heart. Hosted Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon from September through May at Theatre 82 & Café, located at 82 Rolfe Square in Cranston, the entertainment will include puppetry, magic, storytelling, improv, music, and more! There is something new each Saturday, with performers and acts changing each week. Pay what you can for admission, with a suggested donation of $5 for most performances. Check artists-exchange.org for performance dates and the complete list of upcoming performers. For more information, contact 401-480-9477.

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 support through donations, membership dues, or volunteering their time. To find out more, contact the group, 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. The Friends are a non-profit organization, with proceeds from fundraising supporting library programs and services.

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.

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.

Did You Know?

A leap year is any year with 366 days instead of the usual 365. Leap day in 2016 will fall on Monday, Feb. 29.

It was the ancient Egyptians who first figured out that the solar year and the man-made calendar year didn’t always match up. That’s because it actually takes the Earth a little longer than a year to travel around the Sun — 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds, to be exact. Therefore, as the hours accumulated over the centuries, an extra day was occasionally added to the calendar, and over time the practice became more or less official.

The Romans first designated Feb. 29 as leap day, but a more precise formula (still in use today) was adopted in the 16th century when the Gregorian calendar fine-tuned the calculations to include a leap day in years only divisible by four – 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024, etc. (Source: Leap Year 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.