Sun Rise Scoops

Easter Bunny to visit Johnston

The Easter Bunny will visit Johnston on Saturday, April 13, at Johnston Senior Services for breakfast, treats and more! Sponsored by Citizens Bank, the Bunny will be ready for children from 9 to 11 a.m.

Please bring your camera with you. For more information, call the Johnston Parks and Recreation office at (401) 272-3460 or visit johnstonrec.com.

FEMA funeral assistance

People can apply for FEMA Funeral Assistance starting April 12 by calling 844-684-6333. Families who have lost a loved one to COVID-19 will be eligible for up to $9,000 in reimbursement. There is no income cap, so nearly all families are eligible.

Interested applicants should start collecting their documents now. For more details on what you’ll need, visit fema.gov.

Playgrounds open in the park

The playgrounds are now open at Johnston Memorial Park. Please remember that masks are required to be worn at all times, and be advised that the restrooms remain closed at this time.

Endangered Species Youth Art Contest

Roger Williams Park Zoo is now accepting submissions for its fourth annual Endangered Species Youth Art Contest. The deadline to enter is April 30.

In celebration of Endangered Species Day (May 21) Roger Williams Park Zoo is accepting art entries from local K-12 grade students and homeschoolers in the New England area depicting threatened/endangered species. Endangered Species Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of protecting endangered species, their habitats, and learn what we can do to help protect them.

Participants will have the chance to win prizes including a zoo membership and gift cards to Jerry’s Artarama Retail Stores.

For more information, visit rwpzoo.org/youth-art-contest.

Summer jobs with DEM

DEM is recruiting qualified lifeguards for Rhode Island’s state beaches, parks and campgrounds. Full-time lifeguard positions are available at all state swimming areas, including saltwater beaches such as Roger Wheeler and Scarborough, non-surf beaches such as Goddard, and freshwater beaches such as Burlingame Campground and Lincoln Woods State Park. Flexible, 20-hour workweeks are available for lifeguard positions at our busiest swimming areas. Hourly rates for lifeguards range from $13.25 to $16.25 an hour, based on location and position level.

All lifeguard candidates must have successfully completed courses and hold valid cards in lifeguard training, first aid and CPR, including infant, child and adult.

DEM also is seeking park rangers and facilities attendants to work at recreational sites across the state. Park rangers are instrumental to a safe and fun experience at DEM properties. They give directions to beachgoers and park users, help with crowd control, provide security checks for facilities, and are the first responders in the event of emergency.

Hourly rates for park rangers range from $10.50 to $11.60. Applicants for facilities attendant and park ranger I must be 16 years of age or older, and applicants to park ranger positions at levels II and III must be 18 years of age or older.

For a complete list of seasonal employment opportunities and to apply, visit riparks.com/employment. Most positions are full-time and include weekend and holiday hours. Applications must be completed online. Paper applications will not be accepted. The state of Rhode Island is an equal opportunity/diversity employer.

With 50 percent fewer teens seeking jobs than 20 years ago, DEM is looking to recruit active older Rhode Islanders and retired military personnel who might want to work part-time work to make up for the lack of younger applicants.

For more information, visit riparks.com/employment.php.

Calling all golfers age 65+

Since 1959, The Over 65 Golf League, a nonprofit organization, has worked with the public golf courses in Rhode Island to offer league play for all seniors. The group’s bylaws state, “The purpose of the League is to encourage and promote the Game of Golf and kindred activities through friendly competition among its Members.”

If you are interested in golfing on Mondays or being a spare in a mixed senior league, please register to come to the group’s annual Open Membership Meeting on Wednesday, April 21, at Harbor Lights, 150 Gray St., Warwick, starting at 9:30 a.m.

Preregistration is required due to COVID-19 restrictions on meeting size. The membership dues for season play, playoffs, TBA tournaments, and a banquet with distribution of prizes are $55 ($30 for spares not attending the banquet). To preregister for the meeting, join, or just get more information, contact Carol Desforges at Desac63@gmail.com or call (401) 738-0319.

Focus on mental health

NAMI Rhode Island is the state affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. It offers an array of education and training programs and services for individuals living with mental illness, family members, schools, providers, and the general public. These programs draw on the experience of individuals with mental illness and family members who have learned to live well with their illnesses and are eager to help others, as well as the expertise of mental health professionals and educators.

Programs are free and virtual. For more information on programs or becoming a volunteer, visit namirhodeisland.org, call (401) 331-3060 or email info@namirhodeisland.org.

Rent Relief RI

Rhode Island has received $200 million in rent relief funds from the federal Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program. This program, Rent Relief RI through RI Housing, will provide rental and utility relief payments to help eligible renters maintain housing stability during the pandemic.

For more information, visit rentreliefri.org

Be Kind RI

Be Kind RI is a new program that connects volunteers to their neighbors across Rhode Island through text alerts to coordinate food deliveries from grocery stores and food pantries. To sign up go to BeKindRI.org. Volunteers must be 18 or older and undergo our background check. Be Kind RI is open to those in RI experiencing COVID-19 risk factors including seniors 65+, anyone with underlying health conditions, those in quarantine or isolation, anyone experiencing a lack of childcare, and those who would otherwise experience difficulty in obtaining food. For assistance signing up, call 877-958-8785.

Marian J. Mohr Memorial Library

Free craft and activity kits for children are available at the library. Stop by the library to pick up one, or email Ms. Meri meri@mohrlibrary.org or call 231-4980 to make a reservation.

Looking for ’78 Blizzard photos

The Johnston Historical Society is looking for photos from the Blizzard of ’78 that include recognizable backgrounds in Johnston, such as businesses, landscapes and street signs. Please email them to JohnstonHistorical1825@gmail.com. 

News from the Mohr Memorial Library

Mohr Library is currently accessible to the public during reduced hours but continues to offer curbside pickup and other services during its regular schedule. Services include curbside delivery; reference help by phone, email or in person; recommendation lists and one-on-one help to explore interests in reading, viewing and listening; printing from home or your device; use of computers and copier; and a free notary public, evenings and Saturdays by appointment.

Johnston Community Library Book Club

Kids ages 8 to 10 can meet online, by invitation, Thursdays at 3 p.m. to hear readings and discuss books with library trustee and volunteer Denese Carpenter.

Interested in other times or want to suggest a book for discussion? Let them know.

Parents can learn more about sign-up procedures by contacting Library Director Jon Anderson. Email info@mohrlibrary.org or call 401-231-4980, ext. 7.

Artist applications now open for the Wickford Art Festival

There are new changes to the festival set to bring artists back to Wickford after last year’s cancellation due to COVID.

Artist applications are now open for the annual Wickford Art Festival, which is slated for July 10 and 11. Produced by the Wickford Art Association since 1962, this year’s festival will aim to feature top artists from the state, region and nationally but will have a new look and feel due to changes since COVID-19 rocked the art and event industry. This year, Wilson Park, located within Wickford Village, will be the base for the festival in order to safely spread-out artists, patrons and adapt to any necessary state guidelines in place come July.

For the first time artists will be able to apply to this year’s festival through a new online application. Accepted artists will also be featured on a new virtual festival platform that will be heavily promoted throughout the entire summer through the end of September.

The Wickford Art Festival is a juried fine art show. Work will be juried on originality, workmanship and professional presentation. Jurors also consider total show composition and for the first time will be accepting a limited number of talented artists that create fine functional art pieces – including ceramics, decorative fiber, furniture and jewelry – will be able to apply to the festival. Applications will be open through April 15.

For more information visit the Wickford Art Association website for details on the festival, application instructions and jury information or contact the Festival Director, Ainslie Daly, at wickfordartfestival@gmail.com.

For more information on individual exhibits or programs, visit wickfordart.org.

Support the Johnston Historical Society

The Johnston Historical Society has T-shirts available for sale in sizes small through extra-large in slate blue, sand and a few in light green.

The JHS is an all-volunteer organization. Its museum is not staffed, but they are happy to open up by appointment for a tour of the museum, the house, and to purchase T-shirts and copies of books.

Call 231-3380 and leave a message with the color and size you would like.

Teen virtual programming during COVID-19

The Mohr Library is currently offering virtual versions of some of its teen programs as well as drop-in chats. They are all invite-only programs, so please contact the teen librarian at marissa@mohrlibrary.org to register or if you have any questions.

Art Club meets every Tuesday at 3 p.m. History Club meets monthly on the first Wednesday at 3 p.m. Drop-in chat days differ weekly, so please ask when registering.

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.

SunriseScoops@aol.com. Photos in jpg format are accepted and news can include community events, promotions, academic news and nonprofit events as well as virtual 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.