Regional

Seminar on federal business contracting: The Newport County Chamber of Commerce will host a free seminar for small businesses on “How To Do Business with Federal Government Contracting,” tonight from 6:30 to 9 at the Chamber office, 45 Valley Rd. Naval Station Newport and the Rhode Island National Guard and United States Coast Guard are in the process of expanding and will be the site of major construction projects. This seminar is an introduction to federal contracting for small businesses new to government contracting or just considering entering the market. Space is limited. To register, e-mail kathleen@newportchamber.com or call 847-1608.

Barrington

Anniversary celebration: The 60th anniversary of the Thomas H. Mellow Jr. VFW Post 9742 will be celebrated May 1 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Barrington Senior Center, County Road. For planning purposes, the post needs a tally of those who will be able to attend. Call Bob Smith, adjutant, 245-3285 or e-mail him at RFSMITH4@aol.com as soon as possible to place names on the guest list.

Triathlon preparation course: The Bayside Family YMCA, 70 West St., will offer a course to help participants prepare for their first triathlon. Participants must be able to swim a minimum of four continuous laps in the pool, have a bike in good working condition and be able to run for a minimum of 20 minutes.

The program begins next week and meets on Tuesdays from 8 to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The fee is $150 for YMCA members and $300 for nonmembers. Registration is required. A minimum of five participants is required or the program may be cancelled. For information or to register, call 245-2444. Financial assistance is available.

Garden Club to meet: The guest speaker for Barrington Garden Club’s April membership meeting will be Matthew “Twig” Largess, a certified arborist and national spokesman on forests. His presentation will focus on forests and birds of Rhode Island. The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday at Barrington Public Library, will begin with refreshments at noon, followed by a brief business meeting and the program. The guest fee is $5.

Members of the Barrington Junior Garden Club will meet April 23 at 4 p.m. to create dish gardens.

Bristol

Volunteers needed: The Herreshoff Marine Museum will host a volunteer orientation night tonight from 6 to 7:30. Light refreshments will be served.

A variety of positions are available, such as working at the admissions desk, gift shop or library, working as docents, and working on the waterfront. Volunteers asked to commit three or four hours once a week. The museum will open from April 26 to Nov. 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For information call Teri Souto, 253-5000.

Senior Center offerings: The Benjamin Church Senior Center has tickets available for Trinity Rep’s matinee performance of Blithe Spirit, Wednesday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12, which includes admission and bus transportation departing from Chestnut Street at 12:15 p.m.

Other upcoming events include the annual “senior” prom May 18 at noon at the Manor Community Hall. There will also be dinner, musical entertainment, door prizes and the crowning of a king and queen. Tickets are $10 for members with a May 9 deadline to purchase.

A one-day trip for members to see the theater show Sweeter Than Sunshine, by Cornerstone Productions at Mystic, Conn., plus Mohegan Sun Casino, May 19. Tickets, which are $54, include a five hour morning stay at the Casino with $10 food or free buffet and $20 free bet. The deadline is tomorrow . The trip will depart from Chestnut Street at 8 a.m., returning to Bristol at 7 p.m.

A trip to Providence’s “Little Italy” is planned for May 28. The tour will include a visit to Scialo Brothers Bakery where participants will be served coffee and treats, a cooking demonstration and lunch at Geppetto’s pizzeria. The group will take a guided bus tour of the area. The fee is $59 each and the deadline to register is April 28. Tickets can be purchased Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information, call 253-8458 or 253-8396.

East Providence

Talk on thrill killers: Rhode Island author Paul Lonardo and Johnston Detective Ray Pingatore discuss their local true crime story, Thrill Killers: A True Story of Innocence and Murder without Conscience, Monday at 7 p.m. at the Weaver Library, 41 Grove Ave. The two men spent years researching the carjacking and murder of two college students in Providence on June 9, 2000. Books will be available for sale and signing. For information, contact Adult Services Librarian Joyce May, jmay@eplib.org or call 434-2453. This program is free to all.

Computer classes offered: Beginner computer classes are being offered at the East Providence Senior Center, Waterman Avenue. Classes will be held in the afternoon starting April 25. For more information and to sign up, contact the center, 435-7875.

Little Compton

Scholarship available: The Little Compton Grange will award its Awashonks scholarship of $500 to a 2008 graduate of any high school who is a Little Compton resident or a member of Little Compton Grange 32.

Applications can be picked up at Portsmouth High School, the Wilbur & McMahon Schools office or at the Brownell Library. Applications should be mailed on or before April 30 to Norma Elwell, 460-B Long Highway, Little Compton, 02837-1819. For information, call Elwell at 635-4749.

Newport

Special Olympics: Special Olympics Rhode Island East Bay Area Games will be held Saturday at Rogers High School, Wickham Road. Opening ceremonies will begin at 10:30 a.m. Concert: The Beechwood Foundation will host the first concert in its Mrs. Astor’s Sunday Salon series Sunday at 5 p.m. at Astor’s Beechwood Mansion, 580 Bellevue Ave. The program will feature baritone Louis Seymour performing art songs and will include works by Robert Schumann, Jules Massenet and Samuel Barber.

Admission is $10. Proceeds will benefit the Beechwood Foundation in support of its efforts to provide arts grants to area public schools.

Task force: The Newport Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force will meet Monday at 12:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the Newport Police Department, Broadway. For information and assistance, 849-3915.

Lecture series: The International Yacht Restoration School, 449 Thames St., continues its spring lecture series, The Great Races,” Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. with Brian Hancock who will speak on “An Explosion in Short-Handed Offshore Sailing.”

He will talk about the upcoming Vendee Globe, a solo, nonstop, round-the-world contest, and about the new Portimao Global Ocean Race, which he cofounded. For more information, visit www.iyrs.org or call 848-5777.

Arts After Hours: The Arts & Cultural Alliance will hold its monthly networking get-together Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Yesterday’s on Washington Square.

A new feature of the event will be a 15-minute presentation by a volunteer artist. This is an opportunity for them to showcase their work and it will be a “jumping off” point for discussion.

These meetings are informal with a cash bar. Those who start or renew their alliance membership will receive a complimentary glass of wine.

Annual meeting: The Newport County Chamber of Commerce will host its 2008 annual business meeting Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the OceanCliff Hotel & Resort, Ocean Drive. The guest speaker will be Governor Carcieri and the keynote speaker will be Coast Guard Capt. Raymond Perry, commanding officer of Southeastern New England Sector. The event is free to Chamber members and guests. Call 847-1608 for further information.

Annual meeting: The Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation will hold its 24th annual meeting Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Newport Yacht Club, Long Wharf. The guest speaker will be actress Marilyn Murphy Meardon, who will portray lighthouse keeper Ida Lewis.

A short business meeting will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the presentation. The meeting is open to the public, however seating is limited. Call the foundation to purchase tickets in advance, 847-4242 weekdays.

Tickets are $12 if purchased on or before today, $15 starting tomorrow and at the door, if space is available. More information and directions can be found at www.roseislandlighthouse.org.

Portsmouth

Book discussion group: The Portsmouth Free Public Library will hold its next book discussion group meeting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The subject will be M. T. Anderson’s Feed. Anderson imagines a society dominated by the “feed,” a next-generation Internet/television hybrid that is directly hardwired into the brain. Books may be reserved using the library’s Web site’s online library catalog at www.portsmouthlibrary.org or by calling the library, 683-9457. Refreshments will be served.

Warren

Stimulus payment rebate assistance: AARP tax aides will continue to be available at the Warren Senior Center Tuesdays from noon to 4 p.m. through April 29. They will assist seniors in the completion of the 1040A form required to receive the “stimulus” payments of $300 for a single person and $600 for a married couple. To be eligible, individuals must have $3,000 in qualifying income such as Social Security, railroad retirement or veterans’ benefits. If you do not usually file income tax, you still are eligible for the rebate. The deadline for filing for a rebate is Oct. 15. Call the Warren Senior Center, 247-1930, for more information or to schedule an appointment.