East Bay

01:00 AM EST on Tuesday, January 24, 2006

REGIONAL

Tax filing assistance: The East Bay Community Action Program, in conjunction with the statewide Earned Income Tax Credit coalition, will provide free tax filing for individuals and families with incomes under $38,000. All preparers are certified by the IRS and can help families receive the earned-income tax credit and child-tax credit. Families can receive up to $4,300 through the program.

This free program will be offered in East Providence at the Riverside Public Library at 475 Bullocks Point Ave., Mondays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at 610 Waterman Ave., Breed Hall, Wednesdays from noon to 4 p.m. Assistance will also be offered in Newport at 19 Broadway, Thursday mornings, and at the Florence Gray Center, York Street, Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The program targets underserved populations from the state who do not apply for the federal income tax credit for which they are eligible. Every year, millions of unclaimed income tax credit3ymoney is not applied for in Rhode Island. The program is available to families whose incomes range from below the federal poverty line to roughly double the poverty line. Call (401) 435-7876 for more information.

Hoop shoot winners: East Bay youths recently competed in the local round of the Elks National Hoop Shoot Contest, sponsored by the Bristol County Elks Lodge 1860. The competition was held at the Kickemuit Middle School Jan. 14, and 25 local youths participated. The winner in the 10- to 11-year-old girls category was Crystal Leitao, and in the boys category, winners were Mike DaCosta, 8- to 9-year-olds; Derin Mendoza, 10- to 11-year-olds; and Tim Ramos, 12- to 13-year-olds.

The winners will advance to a district contest. A typical district contest may have from 5 to 12 lodge entries in each category and age group. The six finalists in each district contest will advance to the state finals. The state champions will compete in a regional contest to determine which contestants will compete nationally.

For more information, visit Elks.org; for information about the Bristol lodge, type 1860 into the search engine at the site, or contact the Bristol lodge at P.O. Box 226, Bristol 02809, or call (401) 253-9805.

BRISTOL

Theater performance: Birth, death, men, women and many layers of "love" will be explored in Terrance McNally's serio-comedy Lips Together, Teeth Apart at Roger Williams University.

The university's theater department will present the play on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Both performances will be held at the university's Performing Arts Center, 1 Old Ferry Rd.

Lips Together, Teeth Apart is a senior project by theater majors Alexis Bazoukas of Worcester, Sam Brown of Wellesley, and Emmie Miniter of Sherborn, Mass., and Zack Gregus of Vernon, Conn.

Tickets are $4; $2 for students and senior citizens. For tickets more information, call (401) 254-3666.

Annual dinner dance: The Town of Bristol will sponsor its annual Sweetheart dinner dance Feb. 13 at 5:30 p.m. in the downstairs ballroom at Jacky's Galaxie restaurant, 383 Metacom Ave. The evening will include a buffet of American and Asian food. Entertainment will be provided by the 13-piece Swinglane Orchestra, which features the big band music of the Dorsey Brothers, Bennie Goodman, Duke Ellington and Glen Miller.

Tickets can be purchased at the Benjamin Church Senior Center office, Hope Street, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday to Friday. Tickets are $10 for Bristol seniors and $25 for guests of Bristol residents. The event is sponsored by the Bristol Parks & Recreation Department and the Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force. For more information, call the senior center, (401) 253-8458.

Great Decisions: The Friends of Roger Williams University Library will host the Foreign Policy Association's Great Decisions Program Feb. 9, March 9, April 8 and May 11, at the Bristol Statehouse, High Street.

These open discussion sessions are for community members interested in discussing the major international issues facing the United States. Topics for the first four sessions include: Feb. 9, "The U. S. Energy Policy Conundrum"; March 9, "The United Nations: Post Summit Outlook"; April 8, "Dealing with Iran"; and May 11, "India and China: Competition and Cooperation."

Presented on the second Thursdays of each month at 10 a.m., each session features a short video followed by an open discussion. Participants are asked to fill out an opinion ballot after each session, the results of which will be forwarded to the Foreign Policy Association, which shares the results with the State Department.

Although not required, a Great Decisions 2006 briefing book is available for $15 at greatdecisions.org. The book provides valuable background information on the discussion topics.

LITTLE COMPTON

Republicans meet: The Little Compton Republican Town Committee will meet Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. in the Community Center, the Commons. All are welcome. For more information, call N. Darrell Harvey, (401) 635-1604.

MIDDLETOWN

Scholarships available: Applications are available in the guidance offices at Portsmouth and Middletown high schools for a $1,000 scholarship from the Newport County Retired Teachers' Association. Applicants must be a senior either of the high schools and accepted as an undergraduate for the 2006-07 school year in an accredited post-secondary educational institution on a full-time basis. The deadline for applications is March 8. This scholarship will rotate among four Newport County high schools on an annual basis.

Tai chi classes: The Norman Bird Sanctuary, 583 Third Beach Rd., will offer tai chi classes Feb. 10, 17 and 21 at 7:15 a.m. Instructor Ty Romijn will lead these practice sessions, free of charge. For more information, call the sanctuary, (401) 846-2577, ext. 11.

NEWPORT

Fifth Ward Square meeting: A committee planning a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony of Fifth Ward Square will meet tonight at 6:30 at Hibernian Hall, 2 Wellington Square. Last fall, the Newport City Council passed a resolution co-naming the beginning of Carroll Avenue "Fifth Ward Square," in memory of Newport's voting ward that last existed in 1930.

The dedication ceremony will be held March 4 at 11 a.m. A Fifth Ward Outing at the Hibernian Hall will be held immediately after the ceremony and feature photographs depicting the people and places of the Fifth Ward as well as Irish music and a traditional Fifth Ward Outing menu.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the event is welcome at the meeting. Volunteers are needed to help collect memories and photographs of the Fifth Ward, as well as coordinate the dedication and outing efforts.

Those interested in submitting memories or photos for display should send them to Colleen McGrath, City Hall, 43 Broadway, Newport 02840. All photos should include a description of the photo as well as the photo owner's name and address, so that it may be returned. For more information, call McGrath at (401) 846-7680.

Lecture and more: The Redwood Library, 50 Bellevue Ave., will hold a lecture, performance and book signing with Edmund Morris, author of Beethoven, The Universal Composer, Thursday at 6 p.m. in the library's Harrison Room.

In a recent biography, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edmund Morris brings the great composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) to life as a man of astonishing complexity and overpowering intelligence. Edmund Morris is the author of three bestselling presidential biographies. A pianist and private scholar of music, Morris is a lifelong devotee of Beethoven.

This program is free to all.

Annual meeting: The Arts & Cultural Alliance of Newport County will hold its annual meeting Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Newport Art Museum's Griswold House, 76 Bellevue Ave.

Along with a report on the alliance's programs for artists and cultural organizations throughout Newport, Middletown, Tiverton, Little Compton and Jamestown, the meeting will address "Recent R.I. Legislation in the Arts -- What does it mean for you?"

The past few years have been noteworthy for several legislative initiatives that directly affect Rhode Island's arts community. The state's Regents announced an arts proficiency requirement for graduation from high school, which goes into effect this year for ninth graders statewide. Several towns, including Newport and Tiverton, have established arts districts, which afford artists and art buyers advantages and opportunities.

To address these developments and answer questions, the alliance has invited Sherilyn Brown, director of the Education Program at Rhode Island State Council on the Arts; Ann Galligan, research director of the Rhode Island Arts Learning Network and a professor in the co-op arts program at Northeastern University; Berge Ara Zobian, photographer and owner of Gallery Z, Providence; and Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva-Weed, (a Democrat representing District 13, Jamestown, Newport), a lawyer with Moore, Virgadamo and Lynch, Ltd.

Admission to the meeting is free. The alliance is a membership supported, volunteer run organization, working to build public recognition and support for artistic and cultural initiatives in the community. Membership to the alliance is open to anyone and begins at $30. For more information, visit newportarts.org.

Soulful Sundown: Percussionist Leroy White will highlight the next "Soulful Sundown" event Friday at 7 p.m. at Channing Memorial Church, 135 Pelham St. He will drum, sing, and reflect. His blend of drumming, soundscapes and storytelling offers inspiration and renewal.

The evening will be preceded by a soup supper at 5:45 and all are welcome to participate. Donations of bread to share are welcome. The donation for the evening is $5 per person.

Benefit for Off the Curb: Off the Curb will host a silent auction at Castle Hill Inn & Resort, Saturday at 7 p.m. The event will include hors d'oeuvres, a performance by Off the Curb and many silent auction prizes.

Tickets are $15 per person and participants must be at least 18 years old. All proceeds will benefit Off the Curb. For more information, call (401) 849-1118 or visit offthecurb.com.

Call for entries: Spring Bull Gallery, 55 Bellevue Ave., is seeking entries for its 13th annual Fakes & Forgeries art show. Artists are invited to enter this open exhibition interpreting of "Old Masters and New." Submissions may be dropped off at the gallery Jan. 29 to Feb. 1 during gallery hours. All art must be properly framed, wired, ready to hang: no clip on frames and no sawtooth hangers. The maximum frame size is 3 feet. The fee is $20 for one entry with a 25-percent commission.

The exhibit, which will open Feb. 7 with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m., will remain on display until Feb. 28. For more information, call the gallery at (401) 849-9166.

Benefit art exhibit: Cadeaux du Monde's Galerie Escalier's Tomorrow Fund fixed-price benefit art exhibit "Thayer's Family & Friends," has been extended until Feb. 8. Thayer's family has established a fund within The Tomorrow Fund -- Thayer's wish, to honor his memory and to provide funding for brain cancer research. The Tomorrow Fund is the only local nonprofit organization in Rhode Island that provides daily emotional and financial support to children with cancer and their families. Of the 70 pieces donated by many local artists who are family and friends of the Schlegel family, 20 remain. Additional donations for The Tomorrow Fund may be mailed to Cadeaux du Monde, 26 Mary St., Newport 02840, or dropped off during gallery hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. For more information, call (401) 848-0550.

PORTSMOUTH

Grange news: 20 At the Jan. 19 meeting of the Portsmouth Grange, a representative from the Potter League for Animals spoke about the shelter. In addition, the grange has made a donation to the shelter and has purchased a brick for the new gymnasium field house at Portsmouth High School.

The next meeting of the Portsmouth Grange will be held Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at the Portsmouth Multi-Purpose Senior Center, 110 Bristol Ferry Rd. Little Compton Grange members will visit and be in charge of the program.

Valentine's Day dinner dance: The Portsmouth Senior Center, 110 Bristol Ferry Rd., will hold a Valentine's dinner dance Feb. 18 from 6 to 10:30 p.m. The dinner, which will be served from 6 to 7 p.m., will feature roast turkey and all the trimmings. Dancing will be from 7 to 10:30 p.m. with music by JES We Three. Nonrefundable tickets are $12 per person.

WARREN

Steak fry: St. Jean Baptiste Church will hold its annual steak fry Feb. 11 at 5:15 p.m. in the church hall, 328 Main St. Tickets are $14 each, which can be purchased by calling the rectory, (401) 245-8392, or Dianne Brule, (401) 245-3556. The deadline for purchasing tickets Feb. 6.

Assistance for senior citizens: The Warren Senior Center, 20 Libby Lane, has applications and offers assistance with recertification for the Rhode Island Pharmacy Assistance to the Elderly program. This program provides prescription drug cost assistance to Rhode Island residents 65 and older who meet specific income guidelines, and to those 55 and older who are disabled. To be eligible for the program this year, all clients who are in it must reapply. The program is not a substitute for Medicare prescription drug coverage.

Also at the center are applications from the Social Security Administration for "extra help" with Medicare prescription drug coverage costs. Eligiblity is based on income and value of one's savings, investments and real estate (other than a home). Those eligible can receive help with the cost of their prescription drug plan premium as well as help with the cost of their medications.

To learn more about the Medicare prescription drug program, "Plan D," a presentation by CVS Pharmacy, in Warren, will be held Feb. 15 at 1 p.m. at the center. The pharmacists will discuss how to choose a Medicare prescription drug plan. Help is also available, by appointment, at the center to research the Part D plans that cover individual prescription medications. For more information, call the center, (401) 247-1930.