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Park View Veterans Day 5K Run/Walk

The fourth annual Park View Veterans Day 5K Run/Walk to benefit Park View and Operation Stand Down RI will be held on Nov. 11 from 8:30 a.m. to noon in Roger Williams Park (starting at the entrance off Park Avenue). The opening ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. There will be a 1-Mile Kids Fun Run, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. The 5K begins at 9:30 a.m.

More than 800 runners are expected to participate. The event will start off with a short opening ceremony with speeches from local veterans. Additionally, a procession of veterans will kick off the race.

Headquartered in Johnston, OSDRI is an independent, non-profit organization and Rhode Island’s primary nonprofit resource for homeless and at-risk veterans.

Anyone interested in registering for the 5K can register at tinyurl.com/jrhouex.

Shredding event

Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) invites Rhode Island residents to “shred it and forget it” on Nov. 19 at Shred RI (formerly ShredFast) located at 2111 Plainfield Pike, Johnston. It will be held from 8 a.m. to noon.

Are your sensitive documents piling up? Only personal documents generated in R.I. homes will be accepted; no documents from businesses, even home-based businesses, will be accepted. Tax returns, credit card statements, paycheck stubs, bank statements, cancelled checks, and medical records are all examples of sensitive, confidential documents. A sensitive or confidential document is one that contains a unique, identifying number that can be traced directly to a specific person, and which cannot be found readily through public searches.

The limit on Nov. 19 will be two containers full, similar in size to the old 22-gallon blue or 16-gallon green household recycling bins. Papers that are not sensitive or confidential in nature will not be shredded at this event. RIRRC also asks residents to remove large metal binder clips, rubber bands, and plastic bags prior to attending the event. All documents should be dry; wet documents will be disposed without being shredded.

For more information about what can be dropped off on Nov. 19, visit bit.ly/2dOPVkn or call the recycling hotline at 401-942-1430, ext. 775.

Please remember: This one-day event is not located at RIRRC! Residents looking to participate most go to Shred RI at 2111 Plainfield Pike in Johnston.

St. Brigid’s Bazaar

St. Brigid’s Church, 1231 Plainfield St., Johnston, will be hosting its annual bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 19 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and Sunday, Nov. 20 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the church hall. The bazaar will consist of a food court, wine corking, raffles, silent auction, children’s pop game, and homemade pastries, as well as vendors with items such as jewelry, wreaths, floral arrangements, and holiday décor. There will also be a charity booth with a variety of handmade knitted and crochet items, from which proceeds will be given to the organization that trains service dogs for veterans and others. Admission is free and all are invited.

Pedals & Pints Night

Join in to help stop diabetes during the Pedals & Pints event at the Thirsty Beaver, 288 Atwood Ave., Cranston. The event will be held Nov. 16 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The pint promotion is through Sam Adams. Learn more about or register for the upcoming 2017 Ocean State Tour de Cure to be held on June 4, 2017. There will be free appetizers and donations will be accepted that night.

For more information on Pedals and Pints or the Ocean State Tour de cure, contact Jennifer Kennedy, manager of development, Ocean State Tour de Cure, at 617-482-4580, ext. 3499 or at 401-714-3555.

Container Gardens

Container Gardens for the fall and Joyful Season is the Gentian Garden Club’s featured program this month, presented by club member Sharon Lavigne. Visitors are always welcome. The evening will begin at 7 p.m. on Nov. 15 at the Community House, 546 West Greenville Road (Rt. 116), North Scituate. Also, club member Ann Huntoon will adorn their refreshment table that evening with a creative floral arrangement.

This month, members will be decorating the many barrels, window boxes, and containers around the community with evergreens for the upcoming winter season. Garden Therapy will be at Brookdale Manor creating seasonal floral arrangements with some of the residents. Junior Activity will be at the North Scituate Library on Nov. 16 with a program on “Feeding the Birds,” led by team member Kathy Giovine.

For information on the club or any activities, please contact Linda Proulx at 401-647-3730 or email bogcrawler@msn.com.

Winter Bazaar

Trinity Assembly of God, located at 2119 Hartford Ave. in Johnston, will host a Winter Bazaar on Nov. 12 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There will be many different vendors as well as a silent auction. Sit down and enjoy lunch or a snack in the Bread of Praise Cafe. Grab some delicious baked goods and come rummage through our yard sale section. There will be homemade candles, magical Christmas lanterns, ornaments, homemade hats, scarves, mittens, cakes, lotions, jams, jewelry, yard sale items, and much more. There will also be a coat drive, nail painting, and face painting. Contact Nicole Palazzo at 401-215-4410 for more information.

Pet photos with Santa, Rudolph, or Frosty

On Nov. 13, there will be pet photos with Santa, Rudolph, or Frosty to benefit Animals Depend On People Too (ADOPT) at Pet Supplies Plus, Garden City Plaza, Cranston, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Photography services are being provided by Gene Hutnak Photography. Children and adults are welcome in the photo, too! The cost is $20 for two different photos, and all photos can be reproduced. For more information, please call 401-826-0320 or sage999cat@cox.net.

Computer classes at Mohr Library

The Mohr Library is offering drop-in Friday computer classes from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Stop into the library for computer and technology help. Learn how to use email, Microsoft Word, and Facebook, format resumes, download free ebooks, and more.

No appointments are necessary. Do you possess basic computer skills and want to add a computer certification to your resume? The Mohr Library is a certified NorthStar Computer Assessment site. Take and pass an online test and earn a printed certificate. Appointments are required for NorthStar.

For more information, please call the Reference Department at 401-231-4980.

Helping the homeless

The RI Dream Center, a non-profit organization, works to restore the lives of the homeless and impoverished in the Rhode Island community. Each year they supply more than 500 people with fully stocked winter survival backpacks. Their goal is to deliver the backpacks at 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 12 on the lawn of the State House in Providence. They are in need of donations of toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, hairbrushes, winter gloves, winter hats, winter scarfs, lip balm, shaving cream, ponchos, and shampoo. All donations should be dropped off at Praise Tabernacle Church, 330 Park Ave., Cranston.

Family Service informational night

Family Service of RI will be holding an informational night on Nov. 16 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. for anyone interested in foster parenting. The event will take place at the Family Service office, located at 134 Thurbers Ave. in Providence.

Foster parents receive a tax-free stipend, free medical/dental coverage for the child, and clothing allowances, daycare assistance (for working parents), training, and 24/7 support. Singles, partners, and married couples are eligible. LGBTQQIA-welcoming.

Anyone interested in foster parenting may attend the information night or contact Leidy Alves of Family Service at 401-660-7822 or alvesle@familyserviceri.org.

Vendors needed for MS Holiday Bazaar

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is looking for talented artists and vendors to exhibit and sell their wares at the seventh annual MS Holiday Bazaar. Vendor applications are being accepted for the bazaar, which will be held Nov. 19 at Capitol Ridge in Providence.

All items offered at the bazaar must be handcrafted. Every year, the bazaar provides holiday shoppers with a wide array of handcrafted, high-quality gift options, including jewelry, quilted, crocheted, and knitted items, ornaments and holiday décor, children’s items, gift baskets, gourmet food, hand painted items; and more.

Every year, the bazaar attracts hundreds of shoppers and features dozens of vendors. All profits help provide programs and services for New Englanders with multiple sclerosis. Table fees are as follows: $35 for organizations, $30 for individual vendors, and $25 for individual vendors with MS.

The new location for the bazaar is at Capitol Ridge, 700 Smith St., Providence. It is a fully accessible, assisted living facility with abundant free parking. To request an application, please contact society programs and advocacy manager Meredith Sheehan at meredith.sheehan@nmss.org.

Ocean State Toastmasters

The Ocean State Toastmasters will hold their next meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Warwick City Hall, 3275 Post Road. Regular meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. The club is one of some 13,500 in Toastmasters International, a non-profit, educational organization devoted to the development of public speaking and leadership skills. The organization has approximately 280,000 members in 116 countries. Founded in 1963, Ocean State Toastmasters is one of the oldest clubs in Rhode Island. Visit us and see what we’re about! For more information, contact Robert Rogers, vice president of membership, at 401-782-7637 or Robert_Rogers@acm.org.

Did You Know?

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938.

Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day – a common misunderstanding, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Memorial Day (the fourth Monday in May) honors American service members who died in service to their country or because of injuries incurred during battle, while Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans – living or dead – but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime. (Source: History.com)

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