Regional

Orientation on careers in the marine industry: The International Yacht Restoration School, with facilities in Newport and Bristol, will host an evening orientation session on career and training opportunities in the marine industry tomorrow from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Mt. Hope High School, Chestnut Street, Bristol.

The session is geared both toward skilled individuals who want to learn how their experience applies to marine careers, as well as individuals with no prior experience around boats but an interest in entering the field.

Individuals from leading marine businesses in Rhode Island — such as New England Boatworks, Hinckley Yacht Services, and Bristol Marine — will talk about career paths in the industry. There is traditionally a shortage of skilled workers, and these marine companies have a continual need for individuals with the right training.

The nine-day introductory course, “IYRS Marine Trades Training Program,” will be held Feb. 19 to 29. The nine-day course teaches the fundamental skills unique to the maritime work environment, including safety procedures, basic tool use, boat cleaning and coatings, an introduction to basic diesel maintenance, and work readiness skills such as resumÉ writing. The course concludes with IYRS’s annual Career Day, the only marine-exclusive career fair in the state, held at the Newport campus March 1.

To reserve a space for tomorrow’s orientation, call 848-5777, ext 203, or visit www.iyrs.org.

Grant awarded: Literacy Volunteers of East Bay (LVEB) was recently awarded a $1,000 Rhode Island state legislative grant. The grant, sponsored by Sen. Charles J. Levesque, will be used to purchase a portable display booth to be used for presentations, conferences and recruitment of volunteer tutors.

LVEB is an affiliate of Proliteracy America and is a nonprofit organization that offers free, confidential tutoring programs for adult learners in literacy and conversational English. For more information, 247-2177.

Donation made: The Newport County Board of Realtors recently donated $10,000 to Church Community Housing Corporation. The funds are earmarked for the nonprofit community development organization’s homebuyer-training program, which is geared toward “average working families” throughout Newport County. The funds donated by the Realtors were raised, in part, at a golf outing held last summer.

Barrington

Senior center offerings: The Barrington Senior Center, County Road, offers a variety of activities each month. The new year kicks off with art history classes featuring one artist per session; a nutritional program, “Ask the Dietician”; computer classes for beginners and for the Internet; painting classes; chair massage; and a flower arranging course.

Highlights over the next three months include a New Year’s party today at 1 p.m.; a Valentine’s Day party, Feb. 13 at 1 p.m.; the center’s annual meeting, Feb. 29; and a St. Patrick’s Day party March 13.

For information on these and other center activities, call 247-1926.

YMCA offerings: The Bayside Family YMCA, 70 West St., will offer new programs this winter.

The EnhanceFitness Program for Beginning Exercisers will meet Monday and Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. It is free for members, $98 for nonmembers.

Golf conditioning for those who want to improve their golf game will meet Sundays at 9 a.m. The cost is $44 for members, $88 for nonmembers.

YMCA Healthy Life Styles will help participants to change habits or behaviors of their choice in order to improve their health and well being. Registration and prescreening will be held the weeks of Jan. 14 and 28. The program will run February through November. This 10-month program will meet for 75 minutes weekly for the first month and then bimonthly thereafter. The cost is $96 for members, $156 for nonmembers.

Story Hour for children 3 to 5 years old will include an hour of making stories come alive. Class will meet Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon. The cost is $44 for members, $88 for nonmembers.

Other regular YMCA offerings include Midnight Hoops, for teens in grades 8 to 12, Fridays from 10 p.m. to midnight; a variety of aerobics classes; an exercise program for women with breast cancer, Wednesdays from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.; preschool dance classes Mondays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. or Wednesdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.; youth yoga, Mondays from 4 to 5 p.m.; parent-child yoga, Mondays from 3 to 4 p.m. or Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.; SilverSneakers, Wednesday and Friday, 1:30 p.m.; Tai Chi from the Arthritis Foundation, Thursdays, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. beginning Jan. 3; two programs for adults with arthritis offered through the Arthritis Foundation of Rhode Island — the aquatic program, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. and the Land Exercise Program (formerly known as PACE), Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to noon; massage therapist by appointment; Wind Trainer, indoor cycling, Sundays, 7 to 9 a.m.; indoor cycling class, bikes available on a first-come basis; and Totally Toddlers, introduction to preschool setting with stories, music, crafts, alphabet and numbers, Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Tuesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to noon.

Financial assistance is available for most programs and classes. For information and to register, call 245-2444.

East Providence

Grant awarded: Sacred Heart School, in East Providence, has been awarded a $500 Exxon Mobile Education Alliance Program educational grant. This grant will enable Sacred Heart School to purchase additional Physical Education materials for use in the school for grades K-8.

This grant was applied for by James H. Hopkins, principal, at the Willett Avenue Xtramart in Riverside, Rhode Island with the assistance of James Brown, manager.

Newport

Jewish film festival: The fifth annual Jewish Film Festival will begin Saturday at 7 p.m., with Tevye the Dairyman, starring the Yiddish actor Maurice Schwartz, at the Jewish Community Center at Touro Synagogue, 85 Touro St. Commentary and discussion led by Jeffrey Martin, professor of theater, Roger Williams University, will follow the film, which is presently jointly by Newport Havurah, Temple Shalom and Touro Synagogue.

Applicants sought: The Newport Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force (NSAPTF) will present community service awards to graduating seniors from Rogers High School during its annual luncheon, which will be held April 25. These awards have been made available through a partnership effort between the task force and the North Family Trust.

Each award includes a Certificate of Appreciation and a one-time $1,000 grant to help graduating students with college costs. To be eligible, applicants must be currently involved in or have been actively involved in a community or school-based alcohol, tobacco or other drug abuse prevention program or project during their school years.

Applications for the proposed 2008 awards are available through the Rogers High School guidance office. All applications must be mailed to NSAPTF, P.O. Box 854, Newport 02840 and postmarked no later than April 1.

For information, contact David Roderick, NSAPTF coordinator, 849-3915.

Grant secured: Sen. Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva-Weed has secured a grant to benefit the Firehouse Theater — Newport County Arts Cultural Alliance. The $5,000 legislative grant will be used to develop a computer network, lighting, software and other tools to create a “virtual set” for use in live dramatic productions. The Firehouse Theater intends to broaden its audience for live theater by incorporating digital display technology into the theater’s productions.

The theater, at 4 Equality Park Place (“Off Broadway”) in Newport is a 49-seat venue that delivers quality entertainment to the community throughout the year, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and on Sundays and Thursdays at times appropriate to the season.

Grants awarded: The Newport Public Education recently awarded nearly $20,000 in grants for projects that will enhance the learning of students in Newport Public Schools. Teachers at all levels of instruction will receive financial support for projects encompassing all curricular areas including: literacy, science, music, art, drama, health, counseling services, social studies, math, and vocational education. Several of the programs will allow Newport Public School staff to provide students with: learning experiences outside of the regular school day, live theater performances, visits to community/historical resources, and participation in after school instruction or clubs.

Grants were awarded to the following people and groups: Margie Brennan at Underwood School for the “Underwood Garden Project”; Glenna Johnson at Sullivan School for “Making Meaning For Language Learners”; Nicole Silvia at Carey School for “Art In History”; Michael Franco at Coggeshall School for “Fantastic Fast Math”; Kathleen Breede at Coggeshall School for “After The Bell”; Lori Fedyszyn and Becky Bolan at Coggeshall School for “Kids In The Arts”; Stacy Lyon at Coggeshall and Cranston Calvert School for “Rhode Island Children’s Book Award 2007-2008”; Jennifer Booth at Cranston Calvert School for both “Digital Storytelling” and “Birthday Library”; Melissa Turner representing all elementary schools with both “It’s About Time Math Made Cents” and “Just The Facts.”

Also, Elizabeth Gibbs, Beth Small and all grade 7 teachers at Thompson Middle School for a cross-disciplinary study of hatching chickens; Tracey Hackley at Thompson Middle School for “Middle STEP”; Jean Wickenden at Thompson Middle School for “Pirates and Privateers in Colonial Newport”; Tara Mello and Grade 7 Cluster 2 at Thompson Middle School for “Investigation Into immigration”; Vikki LePree at Thompson Middle School for “Honors Chorus”; Larry Mauk at Thompson Middle School for “TMS - After school Jazz Band”; Candace Lewis at Thompson Middle School for “Science Fair”; Jim Cawley at Thompson Middle School for “Fit For Life”; Alan Bernstein at Rogers High School for “RHS Arts Showcase”; Corey Johnson at Rogers High School for “Chorus Club”; Barbara Wunderler at Rogers High School for “RHS Art Club”; Scott Dickison at Rogers High School for “Robotics Continues.”

And, in conjunction with Island Moving Company for all grade three students to see The Nutcracker; in conjunction with Salve Regina to plan the reading expo, March Into Madness; and a joint year-long art study project between the NPS art department and Rough Point.

Tiverton

Exhibit to open: The Tiverton Arts Council will present Antarctic Adventures, a new exhibit featuring photographs by Jim Spears and watercolors by his wife, Alita Marks, that capture the experiences of their recent Antarctic excursion. The exhibit will open with a reception Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Town Hall, 343 Highland Rd. The exhibit will be on display from today to Feb. 29 and can be viewed during Town Hall hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Warren

Call for artists: Imago Foundation for the Arts (IFA) is seeking artists to participate in its first open community exhibit next month. The nonjuried exhibit is open to all interested artsts and all media types. Work must be submitted by Jan. 26 between noon and 4 p.m. Each participant is limited to three pieces measuring no more than a total of 36-inches in any direction. All submissions will be exhibited. Two dimensional art work will be hung salon-style. A fee of $10 per submission will be charged.

An opening reception for the exhibit will be held Feb. 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. at IMAGO Gallery 16 Cutler St. Membership in IFA is open to the public. Membership forms are available at IMAGO gallery or by sending a request to IFA at 16 Cutler St., Warren 02885.