Sun Rise Scoops

At the Johnston Historical Society

On Oct. 12 from 7:30 a.m. to noon, the Johnston Historical Society will host a Tag Sale at its headquarters, located at 101 Putnam Pike, Johnston.

Need some stuff? Come by and see all the great items for sale. Donations of items to be sold to benefit the society are also being accepted. A detailed listing of items will be posted on Craigslist’s “garage sales” section on the week of the sale.

On Oct. 30, the Johnston Historical Society will hold its general meeting at 7 p.m. It will feature Slater Mill docent Carl Johnson, who will give a talk titled “Lovecraft: Rhode Island’s (In?) Famous Son,” focusing on the horror writer’s relationship with his home state.

The Johnston Historical Society’s museum barn is open Tuesdays, 9-11 a.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Thursdays, 2-5 p.m.; and the first and third Saturdays of each month, 9-11 a.m., for those who would like to visit the museum or examine the society’s collection of printed materials. Both the museum and Elijah Angell House continue to be open by appointment, and visits from interested individuals and groups are always welcome. For more information, email history@jhs.necoxmail.com or leave a message at 231-3380.

Chopstick Auction

The annual Chopstick Auction at Kelley Gazzerro VFW Post 2812, located at 1418 Plainfield Pike in Cranston, will be held on Sunday, Oct. 20, from 12-4 p.m. For a cost of $20, attendees will be able to participate in more than 100 raffles. Proceeds will benefit nonprofit community organizations.

Johnston Police Explorers

Open to youth between the ages of 14 through 20, the Johnston Police Explorers provides a unique way to learn about law enforcement. The program is challenging and demanding, but also a great learning experience.

A few areas the Explorers learn and participate in are firearms training, self-defense, traffic investigation, criminal investigation and community policing.

For more information, contact the Johnston Police Department at 231-4210.

At the Mohr Library for children

On Oct. 29 and Oct. 30 at 10:30 a.m., the Mohr Library will host Halloween Storytimes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Children are encouraged to come in costume and caregivers may bring snacks or drinks if they wish.

On Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 10:30 a.m., there will be “Martial Arts for Tots” program with Sensei Dean from Rising Sun Jiu Jitsu. He will offer a free martial arts class for children ages 2 to 5 years old with a grown-up.

All programs are free and open to the public and there is no need to register.

At the Mohr for adults

A program titled “Historical Roots of Voting Rights,” featuring professor Beth Shinn, will be presented on Wednesday, Oct. 16, from 6-8 p.m. at the Mohr Library.

On Monday, Oct. 21, the library will present “Rhode Island Women’s Fight for Voting” from 6 to 8 p.m. The program will feature professor Deb Mulligan.

Abby Hutchinson’s “Sweet Freedom Songs” will be presented on Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 6-8 p.m. It will feature actress Deborah Goss. Sign up at the Reference Desk for this musical look at “History in Word and Song: Abolition, Suffrage and the 1800s” as Goss portrays Abby, the contralto of the Hutchinson Family Quartet, renowned in New England, New York and England for their beautiful harmonies.

For further details, visit mohrlibrary.org or email info@mohrlibrary.org.

Flea Market

Trinity’s Annual Flea Market, located at 2119 Hartford Ave., will be held on Oct. 5 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vendors are being sought to rent a 14-by-14 area for $20 to sell crafts or other items.

No food items or drinks are allowed and lunch will be for sale.

Please contact Nicole Palazzo by text or phone call at 215-4410 for further details. Tell her you saw it in the Sun Rise.

Soil testing at farmers market

Fall is the best time to plant grass seed for next year. The soil is still warm from months of summer sun. This combination of warm soil, moderate day temperatures and cool evenings encourages fast germination and establishment of newly sown grass seed. To make sure your newly planted lawn gets the most nutrients from your soil, a soil pH test should be performed as well.

On Friday, Oct. 25, bring soil samples to the Goddard State Park Farmers Market, located at 345 Ives Road in Warwick. University of Rhode Island Master Gardeners will be at the market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and can provide pH results and soil texture analysis as well as provide recommendations for the gradual improvement of your soil’s pH and health.

For instructions on taking a soil sample or information on other testing locations, visit uri.edu/mastergardener/soil-testing-service.

Pilgrim High School class of 2009 reunion

The class of 2009 from Pilgrim High School in Warwick will celebrate its 10-year reunion on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 7 to 11 p.m. at O’Rourke’s Bar and Grill, 23 Peck Lane, Warwick.

Tickets cost $25 per person and must be purchased before Oct. 6 to guarantee entrance. Attendees are welcomed to bring a guest with the purchase of a separate ticket.

Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.com. For more information, visit the class Facebook page or contact Jennifer Rawson (Kennedy) at jrkennedy819@gmail.com.

Fall Flea Market

St. Rocco Church Flea Market will be held on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the back lot of the church.

Come join in this fall as crowds hunt for their treasures. The St Rocco Women’s Guild sponsors the event.

St. Xavier class of 1969 reunion

St. Xavier Academy’s class of 1969 will celebrate its 50th reunion on Sunday, Oct. 20. Classes who graduated in years ending in 9 and 4 will be honored as well. A Mass will be held at 11 a.m. at St. Timothy Church in Warwick followed by lunch at Quidnessett Country Club in North Kingstown. All graduates are invited to attend. For additional information, call Margaret Mathias at 232-9006.

Mohr Library Genealogy Group Meetings

Marian J. Mohr Memorial Library hosts a Genealogy Group on the second Wednesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. The library has yearly subscriptions to Ancestry.com and New England Historical Genealogical Society databases (NEHGS) on all library computers.

The library 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 nationality, and much more.

Meetings are open to all. Join avid ancestral sleuths, learn tips from others. All nationalities discussed. For more information, call 231-4980, email info@mohrlibrary.org or visit mohrlibrary.org.

Cranston High School to hold 60th Reunion

Cranston High School class of 1960 is planning its 60th reunion for Sept. 12, 2020 at the Cranston Country Club. The cost will be $50 per person. For more information, contact Joan Farmanian Fratterelli at 349-3922.

Free yoga for breast cancer survivors

The Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Foundation and Yoga at Studio Exhale offers yoga for breast cancer survivors every Sunday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Yoga at Studio Exhale, 1263 Oaklawn Ave., Cranston, is the place to be to explore slow flow, gentle movement to create space in the body and eliminate stress. This class is designed to restore the nervous system and help release deeply held tensions from the body and mind. Visit gloriagemma.org for more details.

Mt. Pleasant High School 60th reunion

The class of 1959 from Mt. Pleasant High School will hold its 60th reunion on Oct. 19 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Cucina Rustica, located at 555 Atwood Ave., in Cranston.

For more information, email MarjeCatanzaro@gmail.com.

Thunderbolt Marching Band Invitational

The Thunderbolt Marching Band Invitational, hosted by the Cranston East Alumni Music Association, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Cranston Stadium from 4-8 p.m.

The event will feature seven of New England's best high school marching bands, including Cranston East, Portsmouth and Westerly from Rhode Island and Dartmouth, Dennis-Yarmouth, Somerset Berkley and Blackstone-Millville from Massachusetts. The Thunderbolts will be performing their 2019 field show, “Pathways.”

The event will also feature food and a 50-50 raffle. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors. Children under 5 will be admitted at no cost. Gates open at 4 p.m. and the show begins at 5 p.m.

Help make a house a home

The Furniture Bank of RI, a nonprofit corporation, needs bureaus, complete twin or double beds, kitchen sets, mattresses and other household furniture that you no longer need. To help a less fortunate family through your charitable donation of good used furniture, call 831-5511 to arrange for pick up. All donated articles must be in good condition. 

Book sales

Members of the Friends group 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 either through donations, membership dues, or through volunteering their time. To find out more, contact them, or call the library director at 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 to $2. The Friends are a nonprofit 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.

Did you know?

 Columbus Day is a federal U.S. holiday that commemorates the voyage and landing of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus in the New World on Oct. 12, 1492. This year, Columbus Day falls on Monday, Oct. 14. The anniversary of his landing in the New World was first formally celebrated in 1792 by the Columbian Order (Society of St. Tammany) in New York City. (Source: October Fun Facts)

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