Regional

Grants awarded: The Newport County Fund of The Rhode Island Foundation has awarded $110,000 to 16 projects that address a variety of issues in the region’s six cities and towns. The grants range from improving local disaster relief services to increasing programs for children and teens with autism, and from introducing young children to chamber music concerts to expanding local medical services to uninsured adults.

Grant recipients are as follows:

•American Red Cross, $7,500, to support the East Bay office’s work to become a self-sustaining community chapter by hiring a part-time staff person to oversee strategic planning, board development, fundraising, and marketing. This will enhance the delivery of disaster relief services and health and safety programs to Newport County residents.

•Autism Project of Rhode Island, $9,900, to expand programming for children and teens with autism in Newport County by recruiting and training staff to facilitate social skills groups on Aquidneck Island. This will address a critical need for local families in accessing appropriate services for their child.

•Big Sisters of Rhode Island, $6,300, to expand recruitment throughout Newport County of Big Sisters volunteer mentors to work with at-risk girls. This will help to eliminate a waiting list and allow more girls to be served.

•Dorcas Place Adult & Family Learning Center, $7,000, for continued funding of the “Bridge to College” program, designed for first-generation, low-income adults. In partnership with CCRI Newport, the program this year will provide more intensive academic support and skill-building to assist adult learners who are under-prepared for college-level work.

•Looking Upwards, $5,000, to support the delivery of positive behavioral support workshops and therapeutic crisis intervention trainings to parents and caregivers of children and youth with developmental disabilities, mental health and/or behavioral issues in Newport County.

•Musica Dolce Chamber Orchestra, $5,000, to support a series of chamber orchestra concerts to introduce Newport County students in grades two through four to live musical performances in a theatrical setting. The project in is collaboration with Newport County elementary schools.

•Newport Art Museum and Art Association, $5,000, to support Artful Elders, the museum’s educational and outreach programs for senior citizens. The program will expand course offerings for low-income elderly residents, develop training workshops for nursing home activity directors in art lesson plans and techniques, and host tour groups for seniors for daylong outings to the museum.

•Newport Community School, $10,000, to support summer and afterschool academic and enrichments programs for high school students, including programs to improve math, reading, language, and science skills, as well as such enrichment opportunities as ceramics, drama, digital media, and summer employment programs.

•Newport Public Education Foundation, $4,000, for continued support of the Reading Reaps Rewards summer literacy program, as fiscal agent for Newport Partnership for Families. This program, in collaboration with the Newport Public Schools and numerous other local organizations, works to maintain or improve reading and literacy skills in Newport public school students in grades K-8 during the summer months.

•Norman Bird Sanctuary, $6,000, for the Sanctuary’s outreach programs to Newport County schools through in-school programs, field trips to the wildlife refuge, and afterschool programs, all in support of classroom lessons on understanding the natural world. Programs are offered at reduced and no fees to low-income students/classes.

•Rhode Island Free Clinic, $10,000, toward start-up costs of a clinic in Newport which is scheduled to open in April 2009 and, like the Clinic established in Providence in 1999, will provide medical care and preventive services to uninsured adults.

•Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership, $6,300, for continued support of the Aquidneck Island Mentoring Program, which works with Newport public schools and the local community to develop and sustain a high-quality youth mentor program that motivates and prepares students to become productive adults.

•Tiverton Library Foundation, $5,000, to support planning efforts toward construction in Tiverton of a new “green” library, one that is energy efficient, environmentally sound, and affordable to build and operate.

•Turning Around Ministries, $10,000, to support establishment of a new day program for the homeless, many of whom are ex-offenders, with services including referrals to social service agencies, employment assessments, training and job referrals; provision of basic human needs; and training on parenting, financial management, and personal development.

•Visiting Nurse Services of Newport and Bristol Counties, $3,000, to support the enrichment activities of the Youth Success GED & Career Academy, which provides services to individuals who have left school, many of whom are teen parents, lack a positive support system, have learning or emotional disabilities, live in state placement, or have truancy and court records.

•Washington Square Services, $10,000, for support of McKinney Shelter, which provides emergency and transitional shelter to the homeless many of whom have physical, mental, or social problems, and its work with residents to develop service plans identifying employment, education, and physical and mental health goals.

Barrington

Cape Cod trip: Barrington Community School will host a trip to Cape Cod Sept. 19 for the annual Bourne Scallop Fest. The trip, which is cosponsored by BCS and the Barrington Senior Center, begins with a morning, 90-minute narrated cruise along the Cape Cod Canal providing a glimpse of its history and sights. The Scallop Fest features a lunch of scallops or chicken with the usual accompaniments, as well as entertainment and crafts, all under a tent. For information, call 245-0432 weekday mornings or visit www.barrcommschool.com.

Bristol

Youth-built boat to be raffled: Over the past two months, 10 local youth built two boats as part of a Marine Trades Exposure Program by MY TURN Rhode Island Inc. and the International Yacht Restoration School. One of the Bevin’s skiffs will be raffled off to raise money to expand the program to serve 15-20 local youth next year. The handmade 14-foot rowboat was painted mint-green and has been nicknamed MINT-E by the youth. Raffle tickets to win the boat will be sold at the MY TURN Booth located under Tent A at the Newport Boat Show from Sept. 11 to 14. Raffle tickets are $10 each, or two for $16 and three for $20.

Trip to Foxwoods: Harbor Lights of St. Mary’s, a senior citizen’s activity organization, will offer its monthly bus trip to Foxwoods Sept. 15, departing at 7:30 a.m. and returning at 5 p.m. The cost is $17 each which includes food and Keno coupons. For reservations and information, contact Dave Barboza Sr., 253-6696.

Newport

Children’s auditions: The Island Moving Co. will hold auditions for children’s roles in its holiday production Newport Nutcracker at Rosecliff, Sept. 13 at Island Moving Co.’s studios, 3 Charles St., Newport. Auditions will be at 3 p.m. for children ages 8 to 11 and at 5:30 p.m. for children 12 and up. This year, the company particularly seeks dancers in the older group with pointe training for expanded roles in the production. Candidates are asked to arrive one half hour before the audition time. Auditions generally last 90 minutes.

The Newport Nutcracker at Rosecliff is a full-length ballet set in the beautiful surroundings of Rosecliff mansion on Bellevue Avenue in Newport. The children’s cast works closely with the professional performers of the Island Moving Co.

Performances run from Nov. 28 to Dec. 5. Auditions will be in the form of a ballet class. All children should have ballet training and be dressed appropriately for ballet class. There will be an audition fee of $25. Auditioners are encouraged to register in advance using the form at www.islandmovingco.org. For information about the auditions and other IMC activities, call 847-4470.

Successful fundraiser: Headliners with Heart — A Tribute to George Carlin Tribute raised $11,390 for the American Heart Association last month. The event, part of the Newport Comedy Series, replaced a presentation by George Carlin himself, who died of heart failure June 22. It would have been Carlin’s debut in Newport. The fundraiser featured performances by comics Steve Sweeney, Frank Santorelli, Paul D’Angelo and Mike McDonald. It also included a panel discussion and a video tribute to Carlin.

Garden Club to meet: The Seaside Garden Club will meet Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Vasco Da Gama Hall, Fenner Avenue. The program — “Red Worms, Our Green Friends” — will be presented by the Worm Ladies (Lois Fulton and Nancy Warner) of Charlestown, at 7. Members and guests are invited to learn about composting with worms (vermicomposting). Guests are welcome to attend at a $5 charge. For information, call 847-1482.