Wednesday Five: Police Awards, Mardi Gras, Free Tax Services, Diner, Things

Police Awards - The Woonsocket Police Department Awards Ceremony will be held onFriday, Feb. 1, at the CYO Center, 53 Federal St. at 6 p.m. Several officers will receive awards, one of which will be Officer of the Year. Four officers have been nominated;however, the final selection will not be named until the night of the ceremony.

There will be communityawards as well. Organization of the Year will be the Woonsocket Prevention Coalition. Citizen of theYear will be Margaux Morisseau, Director of Community Building, of NeighborWorks Blackstone RiverValley.

The event is sponsored by the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, Local 404, and the Rotary Club of Woonsocket.

Mardi Gras - Get ready for the annual winter celebration Saturday from 5:30 to 11 p.m. starring Mardi Gras Queen Sandy Paul and the mystery man, King Jace XIX. Can you guess who the bearded sovereign is this year? 

If you like food, music and fun purchase your tickets in advance and come out to either St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center, or The Elks Lodge, for the night.

Free Tax Services Connecting for Children & Families (CCF) is reopening its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site in Woonsocket.  The VITA program provides free tax preparation for families with income less than $50,000.  The tax preparers are trained and certified by IRS to do federal and state taxreturns.  This free service is available Mondays – Fridays 9:30 AM to 2:30 p.m. and Thursday 5 to 8 p.m. at the Hope Street Family Center at 46 Hope Street, Woonsocket. Call Zoya at (401) 766-3384 for an appointment or more information.   

Diner for lease - Been itching to start up a new restaurant? Neighborworks Blackstone River Valley is offering experienced restauranteurs a lease of the diner car once home to “Champs Diner,” on Park Avenue, now waiting a new tenant and customers at 719 Front St. The car was one of more than 600 diners produced by the Worcester Lunch Car and Carriage Manufacturing Company. 

Applications to win the lease, including a resume and business plan, are due Feb. 13.

Things - Got something going on that people have to know about a particular morning at 5:30 a.m.? E-mail it to robert@patch.com, and ask nicely - it'll probaby make it in for the following morning.