Lucky Johnston winner

A gentleman from Johnston cashed a winning $30,000 Wheel of Fortune Instant Ticket he bought last week from the Shop N Go at 235 Greenville Ave. The win comes just two months after the same guy bought a winning $10,000 Baseball ticket from the same place. He's not sure where all this luck is coming from, but said he could certainly use it. He plans to put the money in the bank, along with his prior winnings. In Rhode Island, the lottery ticket winner’s name can be withheld if the winner chooses to.
The Rhode Island Lottery is offering players a second chance to win $30,000. Players can enter the serial numbers of any non-winning Wheel of Fortune ticket by logging into the VIP Club at www.rilot.com or by mailing the tickets to the address on the back of the ticket. The entry deadline is Aug. 14 and the drawing is Aug. 21.

Sing Silly Songs

The Mohr Library invites the public to join in with Sing Silly Songs with Mr. Rowland on July 25 at 10:30 a.m. Rowland will sing family favorites and play the guitar; kids and parents are invited to sing, dance and play along with rhythm instruments. The event is free and open to the public. There is no registration required.

Cunneen elected treasurer

Hire Image LLC, a nationwide background screening and drug testing company located in Johnston, has announced that CEO Christine M. Cunneen has been elected treasurer of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS).
Cunneen was elected to serve a one-year term as treasurer during the annual NAPBS conference held recently in Nashville, Tenn. A member of the board since 2010, she remains involved in policy and political advocacy at both the federal and state government levels.
Prior to being named treasurer, Cunneen served as secretary of NAPBS and led the strategic planning project. She also chaired the organization’s Immigration Committee and served as co-chair of the NAPBS Government Relations Committee.

Academic News & Notes

Congratulations to the following Johnston residents who have been named to the Dean's List at Providence College for the spring 2012 semester: Shanika Boadu; Kyle Farrell; James Fuoco; Kimberlee Gianquitti; Gary Khammahavong; and Natalie Verardo.

Historical crafts and tours

Crafts & Tours Saturday: Victorian Thaumatropes will take place July 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Smith-Appleby House Museum, located at 220 Stillwater Rd. in Smithfield.
Families and kids are invited to make their own toy Victorian thaumatropes during open house tours at the historic Smith-Appleby House Museum. Hosted by volunteers in 18th century costume, the open house will feature tours and demonstrations throughout the historic landmark home depicting what daily life was like in Colonial Rhode Island. Plus, as part of the tour, kids will learn about, and make their own toy thaumatropes to take home.
Thaumatropes were popular toys for children in Victorian times. They work because of an optical illusion called "persistence of vision.” The toy consists of a paper circle attached to a stick. The circle has a different picture on each side. When a child quickly twirls the stick, the two images seem to merge. For example, a drawing of a bird on one side and a tree on the other will appear as if the bird is perched upon the tree. Persistence of vision is the principle that the motion picture was built upon.
The Smith-Appleby House was originally built circa 1696 as a one-room stone-ender with a loft by Elisha Smith, the grandson of John Smith “The Miller,” one of Roger Williams’ original party of six men who left the Massachusetts Bay Colony to settle in Providence. Expanded by later generations of the family to 12 rooms, today the house is one of a few remaining 17th century houses in Rhode Island and features original furnishings, designs and exhibits.
There is a $5 donation for adults and children are free. No reservations are needed.

Did You Know?

According to the Farmers Almanac, the “dog days of summer” typically occur between July 3 and Aug. 11, which is during the time that the sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius, the Dog Star. It was once believed that due to the star’s position at this time of year, it somehow conspired with the sun to make the days hotter.

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