Paw Sox game and

tailgating extravaganza

Come and see the PawSox play the Gwinnett Braves on May 26 at McCoy Stadium with the North Central Chamber of Commerce. They have great box seats and there will be post-game fireworks to celebrate the Memorial Day.

Tailgating begins at 4:30 p.m., with food being provided. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets and beverage of choice. The cost is $2 per person, $18 for ages 10 and under. This will be a fun and economically affordable event for the whole family. For more information, contact Kelly Patz at 349-4674.

Johnston Memorial

weekend service

On May 24, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the outdoor bandstand in Johnston Memorial Park, there will be a special Memorial Day Weekend event to honor those who lost their lives in service. The program will include a bell ringing to honor the 42 men killed in action in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

Military may also reserve their spot on the honor wall in Johnston Memorial Park by calling 272-3460. Marble plaques are available for purchase at the cost of $150 per 6-by-12-inch portion.

Giant Yard Sale

St. Brigid Church, located at 1231 Plainfield St. in Johnston, will hold their annual Giant Yard Sale on the last two Saturdays of the month, May 24 and May 31, in their church hall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Featured will be an array of clothing, shoes, purses, home items, children’s clothing and toys, jewelry, books, pictures and much more that will be reasonably priced for a quick sale. Snacks and drinks will also be offered. Admission is free.

Shred event

Shred ‘n’ Go, in conjunction with the North Central Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Fund, will hold a shred event on May 24 from 9 a.m. to noon at its facility at 15 Green Hill Road in Johnston.

The cost is $3 per banker’s box or bag, with a limit of two (up to 70 pounds, and 40 cents for each additional pound). They will also accept E-Waste at $3 each unit.

For more information, please contact 943-0522.

Gaspee Arts and Crafts

Festival this weekend

Join in the fun at the annual Gaspee Arts & Crafts Festival, which will be held May 24 through May 26 from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. along Narragansett Parkway in Pawtuxet Village. The event is hosted by the Warwick RI Tourism Department.

Since 1965, the Gaspee Days Committee has committed to providing the community with a fun, free and family-friendly Arts & Crafts Festival that offers its neighbors, visitors and friends an opportunity to enjoy a day outside shopping, eating and spending time with friends. Today, the Gaspee Days Arts & Crafts Festival brings together over 100 fine artisans as well as a number of community groups and non-profits from which patrons may purchase one-of-a-kind items that they may only find on this one weekend each year. Over the course of three days, the food court is full of craft fair eats and goodies and Pawtuxet Park fills with music being performed live by hand-picked bands and performers. Children enjoy the many amusements and games available in the park as well. Over 50,000 people will walk up and down Narragansett Parkway on Memorial Day Weekend during the weekend-long Gaspee festival.

Academic News & Notes

The University of Rhode Island Coastal Fellows program is an environmental fellowship initiative designed to involve URI undergraduate students in addressing current environmental problems.

Now in its 20th year, the program teams students with faculty, research staff and graduate students to conduct hands-on research that will help the students gain skills that will ensure their future success. The fellows will study such topics as invasive species, evolutionary genetics, wildlife habitat, aquaculture, water quality and more.

The following students from Johnston were named Coastal Fellows for the summer of 2014 at the University of Rhode Island: Mary Grande, Malcom Moniz and Alec Tributino.

Class reunion

The classes of 1963 and 1964 of Johnston High School are having a combined reunion on Saturday, Aug. 16 at 6:30 pm at the West Valley Inn, West Warwick, in the Green Room. Please contact Carol Pezzullo Salvatore at 401-353-0294 (home), 401-585-2390 (cell) or by email at carol1946@cox.net.

Did You Know?

There is plenty of discrepancy as to when and where the first resemblance of the Memorial Day holiday began, but one thing is for certain: it happened in the United States. There were various celebrations of union soldiers after the Civil War, but the first widely recognized celebration came in 1868. Gen. John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, a group of former sailors and soldiers, proposed that May 30, 1868, would be known as Decoration Day. Many graves at Arlington Cemetery were decorated in flowers and people remembered the fallen Union and Confederate soldiers.

It wasn’t until after the First World War that the name was changed to Memorial Day, and the celebration included American soldiers lost in every war. (Source: Memorial Day Fun Facts)

To submit your news from the community, e-mail 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. E-mail 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. Be sure to check out our website at www.johnstonsunrise.net.