Regional

Girl Scout signups: Throughout this month, Girl Scouts of Rhode Island will host more than 30 registration events throughout the region. Parents are encouraged to attend an event so that their daughters can be assured a spot in a Girl Scout troop this year. Placement is for new Girl Scouts only and is first come, first served. Parents should be advised that they should attend a registration event that is taking place in the city/town where they want their daughter’s troop to be based. Registration fees are $25 ($10 for national GSUSA dues plus a $15 contribution to the local Girl Scout Council).

For more information about Girl Scout registration events, visit www.gsri.org or call 800-331-0149.

Area registration dates and locations are as follows:

RHODE ISLAND:

Barrington, Sept. 17, 6:30 p.m., St. John’s Church, 191 County Rd.

Bristol, tonight, 6 p.m., St. Mary of The Bay Church, 645 Main Rd., Warren

East Providence, Sept. 18, 6 p.m., East Providence Scout House, 351 Willett Ave.

Little Compton, Sept. 16, 6:30 p.m., Middletown Public Library, 700 West Main Rd.

Newport, Sept. 13, 10 a.m., Newport Public Library, 300 Spring St.

Portsmouth, Sept. 11, 5:30 p.m., St. Barnabas Church, 1697 East Main Rd.

Tiverton, Sept. 16, 6:30 p.m., Packet Brook Farm, 4484 Main Rd.

MASSACHUSETTS:

Fall River, Sept. 14, 4 p.m., Holiday Lanes, 231 Riverside Ave., Somerset, Mass.

Rehoboth, Sept. 19, 7 p.m., Goff Hall, 124 Bay State Rd.

Seekonk, to be announced.

Somerset, Sept. 23, 6 p.m., Old Town Hall, 1458 County St.

Swansea, Sept. 10, 6 p.m., American Legion, 73 Ocean Grove Ave.

Westport, Sept. 16, 6:30 p.m., Packet Brook Farm, 4484 Main Rd., Tiverton.

New members night: The Museum of Newport Irish History in partnership with The Firehouse Theater will host a new members night with dinner and an Irish theater performance, Murder at Inchiquin, The Irish Manse on Bellevue Avenue, Sept. 20 at the Best Western Mainstay Inn, 151 Adm. Kalbfus Rd. The evening will begin with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at 6:15 p.m. followed by the show and dinner at 7. Tickets are $25 per person, which includes a one-year membership for new members. There will be a cash bar. Reservations are required. Call Shannon Buss, 608-9228 or 714-7056.

Mentor training: Mosaico Community Development Corp., in cooperation with Bristol-Warren Regional Schools, will offer a Mentor Training Program for the 2008-09 school year. The training is open to caring responsible adults willing to commit to one hour per week on school grounds to mentor a Kickemuit Middle School student. Training is provided by Mosaico’s office at 240 High St. To learn more or get an application, contact Ed Carusi, ecarusi@mosaico.necoxmail.com or call 253-4627.

Bristol

Sodality meeting: The Holy Rosary Sodality of St. Elizabeth Church will hold its first meeting of the 2008-09 season Monday at 7 p.m. in the parish auditorium, Wood Street. Pastor Jared Costanza will be the guest speaker. Chairladies Dottie Wilson and Claire Martins, will announce their committee for the upcoming annual Harvest Bazaar, which will be held Nov. 15. Any parishioner interested in joining the Sodality is welcome to come to this meeting. For information, call Theresa Simmons, membership secretary, 253-5243.

Swimming program: Folks can enjoy a dip in the pool or brush up on their backstroke through Roger Williams University’s Aquatics Center swimming program offered to local residents this fall.

Beginning this month, the community morning lap-swim program will run Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 to 8 a.m. Patrons must fill out an application and return it to the aquatics coordinator to receive a membership card. Membership is $75 per person, per semester. Without a membership, there is a $5 fee per person, per visit to the pool.

Fall group swim lessons will be held every Saturday morning through Oct. 11 for swimmers of all levels from “aqua tots” to skilled swimmers. The cost is $60 for local community members.

Family swim is offered from 1 to 4 p.m. every Sunday. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult; each adult can supervise a maximum of four children. Admission is $5 for the whole family.

The Roger Williams University Aquatics Center is in the Recreation Center on the University’s Bristol Campus at One Old Ferry Road. To download lap-swim membership forms, swim lesson registration forms or to learn more about other Roger Williams aquatics programs, visit www.rwu.edu/athletics/recreation/aquatics/programs.htm. For more information, call Michelle Kellerman, assistant swim coach/aquatics coordinator, 254-3421.

Soccer shoot: The Bristol Lodge of Elks 1860 will hold its annual Soccer Shoot Sept. 13 at the Bristol Town Beach soccer fields (rain date, Sept. 20) from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Boys and girls age 13 and younger are invited to come out and shoot goals for points. Winners in eight categories will go on to compete at the state level and have a chance to go to the New England competition. The event is free and everyone will receive a participation award. No equipment is needed.

East Providence

Library activities: The Rumford Branch Library, 1392 Pawtucket Ave., Rumford, is offering storytimes through Dec. 4. No advance registration is necessary. Storytimes, for ages 3 to 6, include stories, songs, crafts, and other activities and will meet Thursdays at 1:30 p.m.

A craft session will meet Sept. 15 from 3 to 5 p.m. Open to all ages.

Ballroom dancing: The East Providence department of Parks & Recreation will once again offer Ballroom Dancing lessons at the Recreation Center located at 100 Bullocks Point Avenue. Classes will be held on Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. beginning Oct. 7.

The fee is $40 per person for eight weeks. Participants will learn how to waltz, rumba and tango. To register, call the Recreation Center, 433-6360.

Bowling league for seniors: The East Providence Recreation Department will start its senior citizen’s bowling league tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. at the Bowling Academy, Taunton Avenue. For information, call Deborah Rochford, City Hall, 435-7513.

Cub Scout sign-ups: Registration for Cub Scouts will be held Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Riverside Congregational Church, 15 Oak Avenue. Pack 10 Riverside meets Mondays at the church throughout the school year. Cub Scouting is a year-round family program designed for boys who are in the first grade through fifth grade or 7 through 10 years old. Parents, leaders, the church and the community work together to contribute to the life-enriching, character-building purposes of Cub Scouting. Currently, Cub Scouting is the largest of the Boys Scouts of America’s three traditional divisions. For information, call 433-2039 or visit www.rec-ucc.com.

Trips for senior citizens: The East Providence Recreation Department is planning three trips for senior citizens for the month of October. A boat ride/camp tour to the Northern Heritage Park in Berlin, N.H. will be held Oct. 1, with lunch included. A trip to the Sherman Farm in East Conway, N.H. will be held Oct. 15, with lunch at Harts Turkey Farm and a visit to the Annalee Doll Museum. A trip to Foxwoods will be held Oct. 22, with an option to visit the Indian Museum. Reservations for these trips will be taken beginning tomorrow by calling Deborah Rochford, City Hall, 435-7513.

Little Compton

Martial arts course: Tae kwan do class will be held after school this fall at the community center. Led by Mardo Muralles, tae kwan do is a Korean martial art that will challenge a person physically and mentally. Children can benefit by improving self-control, self-discipline, self-defense, school grades, attention span, focus and concentration.

The cost is $195 for 13 sessions. Payments should be made directly to the instructor. Return enrollment form to school in envelope marked “Attn. Lee Wyatt” or return to Little Compton Community Center marked “Tae Kwon Do.” If financial assistance is needed, see the instructor. A minimum of 10 students is required. Advance registration must be completed by Sept. 12. Children will be met at the gym after school and taken to the Community Center for the classes.

Middletown

Wildlife programs and more: The Norman Bird Sanctuary, 583 Third Beach Rd., will offer a variety of programs for all ages this fall. Advance registration is required for all programs. Among the offerings are “Bird Tales,” a nature storytime program; family nature night; “Naturally Crafty” vacation camp; ecology of the Cliff Walk; a wildlife speaker series; a Monarch butterfly tagging workshop; an environmental book club and a variety of Saturday programs.

For a complete listing of programs and activities, visit www.normanbirdsanctuary.com. To register for programs, call 846-2577.

Newport

Book sale: The Friend’s Bookstore located in the lower lobby of the Newport Public Library, Spring Street, is holding an in-store half-price sale during the month of September.

The sale is limited to the following categories — parenting and child care, medicine, self-help, religion/spirituality, philosophy, sociology and reference. The store is manned by volunteers of the Friends of the Newport Library and proceeds will benefit the library’s book collection. Call the library, 847-8720 for bookstore hours.

E-ZPass open houses: Rhode Island Turnpike & Bridge Authority (RIBTA) representatives will host open houses to answer questions and take input on the proposed implementation of the E-ZPass system on the Pell Bridge. The open houses will inform the public on what is proposed to date on the program. There will be displays and staff on hand to demonstrate how the equipment will work.

Open houses will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon and Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the RIBTA Administrative Office/Maintainance Facility, Jamestown and Monday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Old Colony House, Washington Square, Newport.

Visiting artists workshops: This fall, artists with regional and national reputations will share their experience and knowledge with small groups of students during Visiting Artist Workshops at the Newport Art Museum’s school, the Coleman Center for Creative Studies.

Among the selections are “Interpreting the Cityscape in Paint,” led by Dora Atwater Millikin, “Jeremy Miranda: Composition of Landscape,” and Susan Stone will teach one-, two- and three-point perspective during her one day workshop, “Perspective Drawing.”

Register online at www.NewportArtMuseum.org, by phone, 848-2787 or in person at the Coleman Center, located behind the Newport Art Museum, 76 Bellevue Ave.

Annual meeting: Child & Family Services will hold its 142nd annual meeting Sept. 10 at 5:30 p.m. at Rosecliff, Bellevue Avenue. The speaking program will be followed by cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Anyone interested in attending is asked to call Alexa White in advance for a reservation, 848-4123 or email awhyte@childandfamilyri.com.

Exhibit on display: The Museum of Yachting, Fort Adams, is exhibiting works by contemporary artists depicting maritime landscapes and scenes in “Capturing the Seas.” Small works (all under 24 by 36 inches) are on view in the mediums of photography, watercolors, prints, oils, and acrylics. Over half the artists are local to Newport and works by the following artists are included: Matthew Cohen, Anne Converse, Daniel Forster, John Grosvenor, Richard Grosvenor, John MacGowan, Jonathan McPhillips, Cheryl Richards, Jack Renner, Cory Silken, Didi Suydam, Phil Uhl, Onne van der Wal and Chris Wyllie. All works are for sale, with a percentage of proceeds supporting the Museum of Yachting. For more information, visit www.moy.org or call 847-1018.

Portsmouth

Benefit sail: The Portsmouth Free Public Library Association will offer a two-hour sunset sail around Newport Harbor Sept. 18 from 5 to 7 p.m. aboard the classic wooden schooner Aurora. Tickets are $35 per person which includes a box lunch, wine, beer and soft drinks. All proceeds will benefit children’s services at the library. The schooner can accommodate up to 45 passengers so early ticket purchase is recommended, before reservations are filled. Tickets may be purchased at the library, 2658 East Main Rd.

Tiverton

Rides to the polls: The Tiverton Democratic Town Committee will offer rides to and from the polls Sept. 9 for the primary election. To make arrangements, call 624-4661.

Bag sale: Trinity Trader Thrift Shop, 1956 Main Rd., will sponsor a bag sale today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Bags will be available at $1, $2 and $3 each.

Warren

Farm Fun Days: Frerichs Farm, 65, Kinnicut Ave., will kick off its Farm Fun Days for Autism Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Featured will be a magical pumpkin coach that will take families all around the farm property, a Western town where kids can pan for “farmer’s gold,” a tee-pee for exploring, a corn maze for exploring, a chance to “pick your own pumpkin,” and a scarecrow factory where families can get creative and make their own scarecrows. Everything is provided, but participants are welcome to bring clothes for their scarecrows.

The event kicks off the farm’s Pumpkin Palooza, which runs every weekend through Oct. 31. All proceeds will benefit the Autism Project of Rhode Island. For information visit www.frerichsfarm.com/fall.html or call 245-8245. For more information on the Autism Project of Rhode Island, visit www.theautismproject.org or call 785-2666.