May 3, 2020 ~ Building Community One Positive Story at a Time
♦️FREE PIZZAS FOR IN NEED FAMILIES MONDAY AND TUESDAY THIS WEEK ♦️
For the 3rd week, Prisco's Market & Deli is offering free pizza on May 4th & 5th to families in need. Last week Carlo Crocetti and  Crocetti's offered to foot the entire bill! This week donations have come in from all over to cover the pizza cost.

If you would like to try a Prisco Pizza for free on May 4 or 5, call in your order. Simple as that! One pizza per family, no delivery available.

This is only part of the story. Since mid- March, Steve & Nancy Prisco have been hard at work, feeding and supplying anyone who calls looking for help. Moved by his deep faith in God, Steve takes calls all day, listening to people, hearing their needs and putting together care packages. People are quarantined, people are immobilized. Prisco's has a process in place to deliver compassion and supplies. " If they can't drive, I have 45 volunteers ready to deliver." Said Steve, "I listen to their needs, ask them about dietary restrictions, and if there is a child, I will add a toy from the store to the package. It's about helping out one another, it's about faith, hard work and family." To date, Prisco's has provided over 400 families with food and supplies.

▪️Please call the store with your orders and requests ahead of time (508) 697-2273.
If you would like to donate to Steve and Nancy Prisco's Families Feeding Families Fund see contact info below. They are offering free care packages to any families in need that include three days worth of food, toilet paper and other essentials. All money donated to the fund is used for the care packages and meals for families in need.
8 Romney Road
Bridgewater, MA 02324
Phone: (508) 697-2273

Pictured above: Steve Prisco and Carlo Crocetti.
Story & Images courtesy of Prisco's Facebook Page.
Do you like to write? Do you have a good story to share?
Could you use $100?
Enter our short story contest.
Deadline 5 pm May 8, 2020.
Write an original non-fiction short story related to one of the BuzzAround Hives: Bridgewater, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Raynham, West Bridgewater or Whitman. Due 5/8/20.

4 prizes of $100 each will be awarded on May 21, 2020 to the best non-fiction short stories in these categories:
Popular vote: Vote on stories from May 11 -17, 2020 The popular vote will include all short stories submitted that meet the above criteria.
Brockton:  3 Brockton librarians, Malice Veiga, Jennifer Belcher and Kevin Nascimento will judge stories submitted related to Brockton.
East Bridgewater, Halifax & Whitman: Michelle “Shel” Stephen (EB), Jean Gallant (Halifax) and Barbara Bryant (Whitman) from our public libraries will award a winner from stories submitted for Whitman, East Bridgewater and Halifax.
Bridgewater, Raynham, and West Bridgewater: Ann Gerald (Bridgewater),
Ellen Snoeyenbos (WB), Jessie McKinney (Raynham) from our public libraries will award a winner from stories submitted for Bridgewater, Raynham and West Bridgewater.
What's Your Good News?

Let us know your good news! We are accepting original non-fiction short stories related to one of the BuzzAround Hives: Bridgewater, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Raynham, West Bridgewater or Whitman. Entry Form to Fill out is at the...

Read more
buzzaround.info
Entries must be 1,000 words or less.

We are accepting one story per person until May 8, 2020.

4 prizes of $100 each will be announced on May 21, 2020.
Historical Tidbit: State Farm
Today we know the state complex in the south end of town as the Mass Correctional Center. It originally began as a state "poor farm" in 1852. In the mid 19th century America was flooded with European immigrants. Some went west but many congregated in the cities of the east coast. By 1850 Boston was flooded with them, many fleeing from the Irish Potato Famine and unable to find work. Towns were given money by the state to care for those, but it was not enough. The state legislature decided to fund the establishment of three large work houses to provide for their needs.
 
Bridgewater was chosen as the location for one of these 400 bed houses which opened in 1854. (see attached picture) It gave those able to work a farm like environment to learn skills and and provide for others at the farm. They expanded over the following years to include other types of industry such as furniture, bedding and clothing for other state institutions.
 
On July 7, 1883, two disgruntled residents of the institution burned the original building to the ground. Since then there have been a number of other state facilities there including juvenile detention center and a women's prison. Surprisingly the first walls that were put up were to keep neighbors from stealing farm produce and equipment. The first swimming pool in town was installed at the facility for the "trustees". A small community sprang up around the "state farm" with its own school, general store and railroad station.

Today it is the location of a 2500 bed prison and the Mass. Emergency Management Center, Area II.
Respectfully submitted, David Moore
Academy Building Municipal Offices
 66 Central Square 
508-697-0921
Mon - Thur 8a - 4p, Fri 8a - 1p Services available through phone, email & website only
Check Town website for needed updates
 
Public Library
15 South Street
508-697-3331
Mon - Wed 9a - 8p 
Thurs 10a - 5p, Fri & Sat 10a - 2p
 
Cole-Yeaton Senior Center
10 Wally Krueger Way
508-697-0929
The Bridgewater Senior Center is closed to the public. However, the following services will continue: Meals on Wheels and medical appointment/grocery store transportation services.
 
Food Pantry
Central Square Congregational Church
71 Central Square
 508-697-6016
Thursdays - 10a - 1p
1st Monday of each month from 6 - 8 p
Congratulations!
Robert Olivieri
won a
$10 gift certificate to Mama Deb's food truck. Enjoy delicious fresh Italian food or purchase some sauce to take home. Go to mamadeb.biz for upcoming food truck events!

You should play our
Historical Tidbit Trivia Game
at the bottom of this newsletter.

You could win
$50 gift certificate to Beauty Counter products through Independent Consultant
Christine Harkins. The clean revolution facebook.com/cleanbeautycorner.
The City of Brockton will now have a COVID-19 drive up testing site in the parking lot of Brockton High School, located at 470 Forest Ave. Testing is available to anyone with symptoms and essential workers, with symptoms or not. The site will be available on weekdays from 9a to 4p. Patients must call in advance to a hotline at 1-844-483-7819 to book an appointment.

A collaborative effort between The city of Brockton, Signature Healthcare and the Brockton Neighborhood Health Center

Info credit: City of Brockton Twitter.
An Evening with Julia Scott Carey
Julia Scott Carey is the Minister of Music, an accomplished pianist, at Central Square Congregational Church, BW
Story Time and FUN with Miss Emily on Facebook LIVE!

Bridgewater Public Library, Tue, May 5, 10:30a

Read more
www.facebook.com
BTV interviews Bridgewater-Raynham Superintendent of Schools,
Derek Swenson
Topics covered:
School Closure
Virtual Learning
Graduation Backup plans
Resilience of B-R school district
Upside down frown challenge
Message from superintendent
Video Courtesy of BTV
Chat with Textile Designer Suzanne Watzman * Fuller Craft Museum
Hello friends of the Bridgewater COA,

Please join instructor Wendy Moore for a full hour of evidence based exercise class designed especially for people with arthritis.
Participants should have handheld weights (soup cans could work well), a paper plate, and a kitchen towel. If you have a TheraBand please have that also available. If you need weights or exercise tubes, please email Wendy directly wmoore143@gmail.com.

Have fun and enjoy!

COA's Exercise class:

EVERY WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY AT 10a

Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 931 4349 5863 Password: 300615
Thinking of You
Greetings and Salutations,
Welcome to a special edition of Top of the Hill. We wanted to share the most current resources and materials with you as we live in unprecedented times. Here you will find online exercise programs, a new van schedule, coronavirus scams info, and so much more. The Executive Office of Elder Affairs also published a new nursing home resource line for family members and friends currently residing in long and short term care. We recommend calling the hotline to help families get information about their loved ones’ care at nursing homes, which have been hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
All of us are connected and dependent on each other and we want older adults to continue calling and emailing us to keep in touch. While our building is closed to the public, we continue to deliver Meals on Wheels, offer information and referral, phone consultations and benefits assistance. Your health and wellness is no less important than our own and we’ve made it our goal to do everything possible to limit exposure and protect Bridgewater seniors. We also need your help in looking out for one another. Call your friends from Zumba and Mah Jong. Text your card players in whist and cribbage. People may not always ask us for help, but they will rely on one another for continued support and a good laugh. We’re all in this fight together.
We would like to thank all of the staff, incredible volunteers, our board, Dress-a-Girl seamstresses for sewing over 500 masks, and Town departments. Thank you Bridgewater Police, Fire, and Health for keeping folks safe and reducing community spread; shout out to the Library team for producing numerous online programs and educational entertainment for residents across the lifespan; and Town Administration and Council for quickly developing and coordinating new polices and protocols.
When we all stay home today, we see fewer new cases tomorrow. Be well and please check in on your neighbors.
Sincerely,
Emily Williams
COA Director
Now offering Disinfectant Fogging & HEPA Vacuuming Services!

Remember, an air duct cleaning service is an investment not only in your health, but in the health of your HVAC system!
Enter for $100 in Bridgewater prizes by completing your Census.
Are you a Bridgewater resident and want to help your local firefighters, police officers, Senior Center staff and DPW, Water and Sewer and Roadways staff respond to the needs of the community? Want to win $100?
Did you know that $1.5 trillion was distributed to state and local governments in 2018 based on census data? Bridgewater’s share depends on you filling out the form. So fill out your census questionnaire today!

* Let the town know that you have completed the 2020 Census by liking their Facebook page and sending us a short message.
* When you tell them you have completed the census, they will put your name in a drawing to win a $100 gift card and gift certificates to several Bridgewater restaurants.

Fill out the form today, and let’s all look forward to greater days ahead!
The Census counts every living person in the United States once. 2020census.gov.
2020 Census | United States Census Bureau

When you respond to the census, your answers are kept anonymous. They are used only to produce statistics. The U.S. Census Bureau is bound by law to protect your answers and keep them strictly confidential.

Read more
2020census.gov
What do you want your Town to be? When the COVID crisis is over, it will be time to shape our future.
Given all that has occurred in recent weeks, the Bridgewater Comprehensive Master Plan Committee (CMPC) has decided to extend the deadline for our strategies survey. We have received 100 responses so far, but our goal is to reach at least 300 (preferably many more than that)!

If you haven't already, can you help us by taking this brief survey?

The survey outlines the current plan goals the Committee has drafted and asks respondents to select the strategies they think will best help the Town meet these goals.

You can access it at surveymonkey.com/r/BridgewaterSurvey.

Thank you, and stay well!
Bridgewater Comprehensive Master Plan: Goals and...

The Bridgewater Comprehensive Master Plan Committee (CMPC) invites you to help us develop strategies for shaping the future of our town!

Read more
www.surveymonkey.com
Stay home and dress up your gardens!
Order your mulch online today!
We have wood pellets, feed & grain and
we're open for essential items!
Please call with your order and drive up.


 1000 Plymouth St (Rt 104) Bridgewater 
(508) 697-0357

Bridgewater Public Library Bags
Wednesdays; 10:00a
First come first serve.
Every Wednesday, weather permitting, bags will be put out front of the library for people to take to complement your home reading and audio/ visual materials. Check their social media channels to confirm before coming out to grab your book bag! facebook.com/BridgewaterPublicLibrary
 Taunton River Watershed Association (TRWA) is looking for a volunteer to help with their Calendar Photo Contest

April 22, 2020
Needed: A volunteer to take over the coordination of entries for our yearly photography contest. This is a job that can be done remotely on your own schedule, but would require some dedication as the workload is variable. Most of the work occurs in the month before and the week after the entry deadline. All told, it amounts to about forty hours of work from the beginning of July to the first week of August.
Responsibilities would include:
• Checking email correspondence for entries and inquiries
• Download all entry photographs
• Send confirmation emails
• Correspond after the judging with the entrants and send appropriate win/lose notifications
Cool benefits include corresponding with an amazing group of nature photographers and getting to view over 400 amazing photographs of the Taunton River Watershed.
If interested please fill out the Volunteer Form . They look forward to hearing from you.
NESSRALLA FARM
Local delivery &
curbside pickup available!

We deliver in Halifax, Plympton, and to Oak Point only, $20 minimum order for pickup or for delivery please! Call 781.293.6792 to order. Visit our Facebook page or website for selection.

318 Plymouth St. Halifax

(781) 294-1767
MAMA DEB'S
SWEET ITALIAN SAUCE
Mama Deb's Italian Food Truck is now on the road!

Your Italian Favorite Meals plus Mama Deb's Frozen Pizza and retail sauce.
Check out our menu and locations at www.mamadebs.biz

Check out our Facebook  www.facebook.com/mamadebsauce
Check Out the Turn Your Frown
Upside Down Challenge
as it gets passed around the staff of the Bridgewater Raynham School District. Each challenge has 24 hours to post a joke video. Videos are all posted on the B-R Facebook Page.
GRANTS RENTAL



Grant's sends out support & care to all of our communities.
We're all in this together.




10 Bedford Park, Bridgewater
 (508) 279-0950

BLISS THROUGH YOGA
is NOW open in
Your OWN Home!
Now Live Streaming ALL Classes!

Tuesdays @ 5:30p; Thursdays @ 7p; Fridays @ 6:30p; Saturdays @ 9a

Contact Janice to register

Find YOUR bliss at Bliss Through Yoga!

Yoga for the Rest of Us!

(508) 331-3564
HUGE Thanks to Our First Responders!
Notes from our children & pictures of Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) for helping them get some much needed PPE. Recently the National Guard delivered the PPE. Thank you!
WEEKLY TRIVIA GAME
Have fun with us and bee entered to win a
$50 gift certificate to Beauty Counter products through Independent Consultant Christine Harkins.
The clean revolution facebook.com/cleanbeautycorner.

Historical Tidbit Question :
What did the state complex begin
as in 1852?

Please submit your answer through our website here . It's easier for us to run more contests & distribute prizes this way.
We are looking forward to giving you more opportunities to win!


By entering, you give us permission to announce your name in next week's
Buzz Around Bridgewater.
On May 6, 2020 we will randomly pick a winner from the correct answers.
The Buzz Around is brought to you this week by   Jen Bellody, Janice O'Brien, Megan Piche, Jacquelyn Rose, Gregory Venezia
It's the Climb.

"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." ~ Michael Jordan

“The climb might be tough and challenging, but the view is worth it. There is a purpose for that pain; you just can’t always see it right away.” ~ Victoria Arlen

"First I shake the whole Apple tree, that the ripest might fall. Then I climb the tree and shake each limb, and then each branch and then each twig, and then I look under each leaf." ~ Martin Luther
We together, we have stepped into a cavern, it's dark and we don't really know how to proceed. So we listen for direction, we listen for wisdom, and we wait.

Slowly a light will shine into the cavern, like dawn, the space illuminates as the sun rises.
And then we will look around with wonder and realize see our foothold, our hand-placement...
and we can slowly climb.

Cautiously, with thoughtful placement, we climb.
Those that dart up the rock wall, will likely fall back. We want to move forward... upward to solid ground in the sunlight. We want everyone to come out. We want everyone to be able to get out, together.
It's the climb. We can do it, together.
~ Jacquie
  Copyright 2020 Buzz Around Bridgewater.  You have our permission to share and copy this issue in its entirety as much as you like. If you take it in part, please give credit. ("Buzz Around Bridgewater 5/3/20")
 
Disclaimer: At the Buzz Around, we promote community and family. Occasionally, there will be links to town committees and other non-profit groups, as a way of sharing local information. Individual groups are responsible for how they represent themselves on their websites and in their promotional materials. The Buzz Around does not claim to support any particular view.