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Cruise Nights

May 5 begins the Johnston Street Machines’ Cruizin’ For A Cause, and the month of May is dedicated to the MAE Foundation to provide assistance to the Homeless of Rhode Island. Bring a canned good for the RI Community Food Bank and receive an extra raffle ticket upon entry. The monthly event is held at Denny’s, located at 1448 Hartford Ave. in Johnston, every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. from May through September. All monthly proceeds are donated directly to charities. For information, visit johnstonstreetmachines.com.

Summer jobs

The Johnston Parks and Recreation Department is currently accepting applications for summer help. Applications are available at the recreation office or by visiting johnstonrec.com.

Networking at Night

Join the Northern RI Chamber of Commerce for a night of networking at the Johnston Historical Society on May 9 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Johnston Historical Society is located at 101 Putnam Pike. The cost is $10 for members pre-registered, $15 for members who register at the door, and $30 for non-members. Please contact the Chamber for further information or to place a reservation at 401-334-1000.

Job fair for veterans

Operation Stand Down RI and the student-led Enactus group at Bryant University will host a job fair for veterans from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on April 21 at the university’s Multipurpose Activities Center (MAC) at 1150 Douglas Pike in Smithfield. The fair will feature more than 60 local employers with immediate job opening for veterans. As part of OSDRI’s commitment to veterans the organization hosts an annual job fair for veterans looking for work. This year local partners include Bryant University, Walmart Foundation, Nordson Foundation, Network RI, and the Department of Labor and Training. There will be informational sessions in the morning starting with registration at 9:30 a.m. These include educational workshops about reintegrating into the workforce after deployment and readjusting to civilian life. Lunch will be provided to those that attend.

Johnston High Class of 1971

The Johnston High class of 1971 has scheduled its 45th class reunion on Sunday, July 17. The event will be held at the outdoor pavilion at Twelve Acres in Smithfield. Class members are encouraged to join the Facebook group “Johnston Senior High School Class of 1971” for reunion updates, classmates’ news, and photos. Invitations were recently distributed. Classmates who haven’t received one can contact reunion planner Harold J. Hemberger at harold@thesleepster.com.

Heritage Hills earns top marks

For the second consecutive year, Heritage Hills Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Smithfield has earned a deficiency-free survey from the Rhode Island Department of Health. The achievement is a hallmark of exemplary care as the unscheduled annual inspections measure compliance with more than 1,500 state and federal regulatory requirements that evaluate all aspects of resident care.

Heritage Hills is a 95-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation center, which includes a 24-bed sub-acute unit that serves as a bridge between hospital and home for those needing post-acute rehabilitation or recuperation. Each year, Rhode Island law requires public reporting of patient and family satisfaction scores. In 2015, sub-acute care at Heritage Hills earned a 98.5 percent satisfaction score.

Eggs & Issues

The Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce will host and Eggs & Issues Breakfast with Speaker of the House Nicholas A. Mattiello on Thursday, April 28, from 7:45 a.m. to 9:16 a.m. at Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln. The cost is $20 for pre-registered members, $30 for walk-in members, and $40 for non-members. Please note that persons registered for a Chamber event will be charged unless cancellation notice is given to the Chamber 24 hours in advance. For more information, visit nrichamber.com.

May Breakfast for Defenders of Animals

There will be a May Breakfast held on May 1 at 10 a.m. at the Governor Sprague Mansion in Cranston to benefit Defenders of Animals. Reservations are $25 per person and musical entertainment will be provided. Seating is limited, and tickets are available now by calling Defenders of Animals at 401-461-1922.

Friends of the Mohr

Members of the Friends of the Mohr Public Library plan and run book sales and carry out other fundraising activities to allow the 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 hardcover and paperback books, fiction and non-fiction, for adults, children, and young adults. Most prices range from 25 centers to $2. The Friends are a 501(c)(3) 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.

Gloria Gemma fundraiser at Town Hall Lanes

On Saturday, April 30 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., there will be a fun night of Cosmic Bowling at Town Hall Lanes, 1462 Atwood Ave. in Johnston. All proceeds will go directly to the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation.

A ticket includes two hours of bowling, a shoe rental, pizza, chips, soda, contests, and music. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase upon arrival.

To reserve a lane and purchase tickets, contact Kristin (kmcateer2@verizon.net) or Jennifer

(jrcastiglioni@gmail.com) with the names of everyone who you would like to bowl with. There is a maximum of five bowlers per lane.

Checks are to be made out to Kristin McAteer, and please include “Gloria Gemma Foundation” in the memo.

Tri-Town Head Start recruiting new students

Tri-Town Community Action Agency CEO Joseph DeSantis has announced that the agency’s Head Start program is recruiting new students for spots at its four local sites.

“We’re continuing our efforts to identify more children who can benefit from this high-quality early education program,” DeSantis explained. “Since we recruit on a rolling basis, parents should take this opportunity to start the application process.”

Head Start is a free program for children from families who meet federal income guidelines – a family of three with annual income of $20,160 would qualify, for example – or other qualifications.

“Aside from wages, we screen families for homelessness, recent loss of residence, Supplemental Security Income, and other factors that may still qualify their children for Head Start,” explained Family and Community Outreach Specialist Barbara Chadwick. “Even if someone thinks they may not qualify under the income guidelines, I always encourage them to call us so that we can do a full review of their circumstances.”

Tri-Town runs Head Start centers at its main office, 1126 Hartford Ave., Johnston; 79 Waterman Ave. and 2204 Mineral Spring Ave. in North Providence; and 185 Main St. in Burrillville. All centers are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and rated by the Bright Stars Quality Rating and Improvement System, Chadwick noted.

In addition to the host communities, the local program also serves North Smithfield, Foster, Glocester, and Scituate.

Currently, Tri-Town has an enrollment target of 134 preschool students in Head Start and 58 children from birth to 5 and expectant mothers in the Early Head Start program, Chadwick explained.

To start the application process, contact Tri-Town Community Action Head Start at 401-519-1979 or Barbara Chadwick at bchadwick@tri-town.org. More information, including the Parents Handbook and annual report, is available on the Tri-Town website, tri-town.org.

Book signing for ‘Bosom Buddies’

Stop in at White Light Books, located at 1464 Park Ave. in Cranston, anytime between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 21 for a book signing and readings from the new coffee table book, “Bosom Buddies” by Mary Jane Condon Bohlen of Cranston.

“Bosom Buddies” is a collection of photographs taken by Mary Jane and essays written by 29 local breast cancer survivors. The book is a celebration of the inner and outer beauty of breast cancer survivors.

Light refreshments will be served, and copies of the book will be available for sale. Half of the proceeds will benefit the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation. The Hope Bus, a 38-foot pink RV, will be on site, and someone will be available to answer any questions on the subject of breast cancer.

May Breakfast at St. David’s

St. David’s on the Hill Episcopal Church, at 200 Meshanticut Valley Parkway in Cranston, is having a May Breakfast on Sunday, May 1 from 9 a.m. to noon. All are welcome. Celebrate spring and enjoy a variety of delicious gourmet pancakes (including gluten free, made to order) scrambled, eggs, sausage patties, bacon, and beverages.

For advance tickets costing $8 for adults and $4 for kids age 10 and under, please call the church at 401-942-4368. You can also buy tickets at the door costing $9 for adults and $5 for kids age 10 and under. For more information about St. David’s on the Hill and directions, visit online at stdavidsonthehill.net or check us out on Facebook at St. David’s on the Hill Church (Episcopal).

A ‘charmed’ event

A “charmed” charity event to benefit Young Life Campers will be held at Alex and Ani Cranston, at 2000 Chapel View Blvd., on April 25 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Fifteen percent of sales will go directly to the organization. For questions or to RSVP, contact riyounglife@gmail.com.

Coloring for Grownups

Every Monday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Mohr Library, you may enjoy a therapeutic, relaxing, and enjoyable evening through adult coloring. Many choices of designs including stylized drawings, florals, and mandalas, with 100 beautiful markers and 100 colored pencils to choose from. Come early or late. The program is free. The Marian J. Mohr Memorial Library is located at 1 Memorial Ave.

St. Mary School Cranston searching for alumni

The bells of St. Mary School are calling all alumni for a celebration of 65 years of excellence in Catholic education on Sept. 17, 2016. To achieve this, the school is seeking input to compile an up-to-date database in order to contact as many as possible, beginning with the very first graduating class of 1960. Those responding should furnish the following: full name (maiden if applicable), current complete address, phone number indicating land and cell, email address, and graduation year. Submit via one of these methods: email to llepore@stmaryschoolri.org, Facebook (visit St Mary's School Cranston Alumni), place a form in the collection basket at St. Mary Church in an envelope marked "Alumni," or mail information to ALUMNI, St. Mary School, 85 Chester Ave., Cranston, RI 02920. It is gratefully appreciated that everyone reading this pass it on and share with other alumni.

Did You Know?

Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, officially as the birth of the modern environmental movement. Earth Day is coordinated and managed globally by the Earth Day Network. It was originally started in the U.S. but is now celebrated worldwide. Earth Day was founded by Sen. Gaylord Nelson, who also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award for his hard work and great initiative. (Earth Day 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.

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