East Bay

01:00 AM EST on Thursday, January 27, 2005

REGIONAL

Annual lecture series: The Friends of the Jamestown Library will hold a program Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. Jamestowner John Biddle, well known for his annual sailing lecture series, will show his popular film of the 1989 Optimist Pram Championships in Miami.

Described as "an early introduction into the spills and thrills of competitive sailing," this hilarious view of the Optimist races will delight all ages.

Biddle has participated in the Newport to Bermuda race many times, cruised the Arctic and sailed on everything from dinghies to Tall Ships. In 1959 he became a fulltime lecturer and has entertained sailors and enthusiasts throughout North America with his witty and highly acclaimed programs.

This program is free.

Artists sought: The Portsmouth Arts Guild is seeking artists to enter its upcoming Open Juried Spring Exhibition to be held in March at the Portsmouth Abbey. The exhibit will include six media categories and cash prizes. The deadline for prepaid entries is Feb. 10. For more information, interested applicants should contact Toni Petersen, (401) 253-3153. Also, artists can visit www.lightyearimaging.com/guild and click on Arts Guild Home for more information.

BARRINGTON

Big Movies: The Barrington Public Library's Big Movies on the Big Screen Saturday matinee film series concludes Saturday with Dances With Wolves (1990).

Kevin Costner's first-time effort as a director won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director and Actor. This epic story concerns a Union soldier during the Civil War, Lt. John Dunbar (Costner), who is rewarded for an act of heroism by being allowed to go to an outpost of his choice. He selects a remote fort in the Dakota territory, where he can experience an area of the West "before it disappears." There he encounters a Sioux tribe, and comes to appreciate their simple way of life. Here is a story that stretches the genre of western films by humanizing the Native American characters and not whitewashing their genocide by the white man.

The film being shown at the library is an extended version that adds about one hour to the version released to theaters in 1990. The new footage adds depth and complexity to many of the characters. The movie runs for 4 hours, with one 15-minute intermission.

The program begins at 12:30 p.m., with pre-film commentary by librarian and film enthusiast Doug Swiszcz. Free.

BRISTOL

Annual food drive: The Bristol Rotary and the Bristol Fire Department are teaming up to do their third food drive Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

Bristol Rotary and Bristol Fire Department welcome anyone who would like to participate, especially those who would like to promote involvement of children who need community service hours, such as the Boy Scouts, CCD students, elementary through high schoolchildren, etc. Food will be donated to the Bristol Good Neighbors Food Bank.

This door-to-door food drive is led by Bristol fire trucks that blow their horns to alert residents of their presence in the neighborhood, while volunteers go door to door to collect donations.

Volunteers will congregate at 11:30 a.m. at BankNewport, Hope Street at Gooding Avenue, which is the headquarters for the food drive, and be assigned to groups to go into the neighborhoods with the firefighters. Food will be returned to headquarters and boxed up. Volunteers will then deliver the food to the food bank at 4 p.m. All volunteers will be treated to a macaroni and meatball dinner prepared by Rotarians at the Soup Kitchen, which uses St. Michael's Parish House on Hope Street as its distribution site for meals and the food bank.

Residents can drop off food donations at the BankNewport headquarters during the food drive day. Any and all canned food, dry food products and non-perishable food is welcome.

For more information or volunteer questions, call Rotarian Doug Gablinske at (401) 253-9910 during the business day and at (401) 253-5523, evenings, or Rotarian/BFD member Sam Adams during the day at (401) 253-1140.

LITTLE COMPTON

Martial arts course: The Little Compton Community Center will offer a martial arts class for teens and adults Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The class will be taught by Mardo Murrales, certified instructor from the Middletown YMCA. To register call Murrales at (401) 849-4998. Payment will be made directly to the instructor. The cost is $85 per person.

MIDDLETOWN

Born in Bondage: The Middletown Public Library, the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities and the Friends of the Middletown Public Library, will present "Born in Bondage: Growing Up Enslaved in the Antebellum South," with Marie Schwartz, Monday at 7 p.m. at the Middletown Public Library, 700 West Main Rd.

Schwartz is an associate professor of history at the University of Rhode Island, where she teaches and conducts research on slavery and family life.

There is no charge for this presentation however seating is limited to 60 ticket holders. Free tickets can be obtained by calling the library, (401) 846-1573.

NEWPORT

Soulful sundown: Percussionist Leroy White will drum, sing and lead reflections at Soulful Sundown to be held tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Channing Memorial Church, 135 Pelham St. The event will begin with a soup supper at 5:45 p.m. preceding the musical/spiritual evening. All are welcome. A $5 donation will be accepted at the door, and donations of loaves of bread are also welcome. For more information, call (401) 847-0643.

Volunteers sought: Newport Hospital has openings for volunteers in three health programs. Smoking cessation coaches are needed to provide support to patients who smoke. The positions are flexible and require only one to two hours weekly.

For volunteers who enjoy exercise, the Arthritis Foundation and Newport Hospital offer the PACE exercise program to the community and need leaders to inspire arthritis sufferers to exercise. Leader training is provided April 1 and 2 and a one-hour weekly commitment is all that's required.

Volunteers are needed to lead the Arthritis Foundation's "Walk with Ease" program at Newport Hospital. Training on how to lead an informal walking program will be provided, and volunteers are asked to lead two or three times each week.

For more information or to apply for these new health promotion positions, please call volunteer services at (401) 845-1635. People of all ages are welcome.

Student photography: Island Arts, 3 Pelham St., second floor, will open an exhibit featuring the photography of students in its After-school Arts program tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. Students featuring their work are: Middletown High School -- Jennifer Grove and Jaymie Haggert; North Kingstown High School -- Catherine Reid; Rogers High School, Claudia Rotondo and Margaret Zecher; Thompson Middle School, Kody Batchelor, James Grace, Jessica Higdon and Shannon O'Hara; Sheffield School, Julian Bessinger and Lucy Randall; Quest Montessori, Yelena Randall and high school graduate, Anthony Rivera.

The opening reception is open to the public, free of charge.

IYRS courses: The spring semester for Continuing Education at the International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS), a vocational school and center for maritime restoration and preservation, will begin next month. Spring courses build on IYRS's expanded continuing education program launched in 2004. The new program initiated a two-track system of course work for part-time students, with tracks for marine industry professionals and restoration enthusiasts.

Spring courses will begin the second week in February and run until May and will be taught by both IYRS instructors and outside experts. Most classes will be held at the IYRS campus on Newport's Thames Street. Sessions that require special equipment not available at the school will be held at Hinckley Yacht Services in Portsmouth.

Course descriptions and online course registration can be found on the IYRS Web site at www.iyrs.org (advance registration is required for all courses). For further information, contact program associate Jay Picotte, (401) 848-5777 or e-mail him at jpicotteATiyrs.org.

Commemorative pavers: Touro Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in the United States, is offering a rare opportunity to be part of its rich history by lending one's name and support to an American landmark that embodies the ideals of religious tolerance and freedom.

As part of the national capital campaign to restore Touro Synagogue and establish a visitors' center, the park leading to the synagogue entrance will be redesigned. Patriots park honors Jewish patriots from the original 13 colonies who fought in the Revolutionary War.

Plans for the park will include custom commemorative stone pavers that can be personalized. Whether one's interest in Touro is religious, architectural, historical or philanthropic, purchasing a commemorative paver will help make restoring the synagogue a reality. Only a limited number of pavers are available. Pavers cost $1,800 each and can be purchased at www.tourosynagogue.org or by phone, (401) 847-4794, ext. 31.

Touro Synagogue is expected to be restored by December.

TIVERTON

Activities for seniors: The Tiverton Senior Center, Canonicus Street, offers a variety of activities each week. Among the selections are fitness classes, Pilates, line dancing, knitting, quilting, cards, keno, billiards, bridge, art classes and more. Throughout the month there are special guests, such as the Elder Information Specialist for Newport County, Xan Hakimdin and experts from various fields to share their knowledge and answer questions.

Now that it is tax season, the AARP will offer free assistance through its tax volunteer program until April 15. Volunteers will be at the center Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hels will be given on a first come, first served basis.

The center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All classes are open to the public. Computers are accessible Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Everyone is welcome to use the facility for everyday socialization. Monthly newsletters are printed with scheduled events. Lunch is served daily at 11:30 a.m., and reservations are required. Bus transportation for the elderly is offered for shopping and for meal-site transportation. Call (401) 625-6790.

WARREN

The George Hail Library, 530 Main St., will present Keith Stavely and Kathleen Fitzgerald, local authors of the recently published America's Founding Food, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. This culinary history book reveals the complex, colorful, and perhaps lost, origins of New England foods and cookery. Connecting New England foods such as chowder and rye and Indian bread to descriptions found in receipts from early cookbooks to 19th century novels, they explore and explain how New Englanders developed and transitioned food from what the early English settlers knew to the nostalgia of the American centennial to the way we think of those same dishes today.

Copies of their book will be available for purchase. Refreshments will reflect New England's foods. For more information, call the library at (401) 245-7686.