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December 15, 2024
~ Building Community One Positive Story at a Time.
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Sarah Norris started with a simple thought...
“I want the people of Bridgewater to be able to lay a wreath on the graves of their ancestors who served in the military.”
That simple thought gave way to a full community service project that brought many local organizations together under a united goal.
At 1pm on the 7th of December, 2024, 83 years since the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Sarah Norris and dozens of others gathered in the Saint Thomas Aquinas parking lot to lay 270 wreaths on the graves of our deceased heroes. Volunteers were invited to choose family members or any Veteran's grave they located to lay a wreath.
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Getting to this point was not simple.. The first major hurdle was trying to determine how many veterans were laid to rest in Bridgewater. “We kept asking different people and organizations if anyone knew how many veterans were buried here,” Sarah said “But they did not know how many or who to even ask.”
Sarah and her family decided to take the matter into their own hands. “We walked through all 17 cemeteries counting the number of gravestones that had a commemorative coin on them or any indication that they served.” She stated, “In total, we counted 1,207 veteran gravestones.”
After figuring out the number, Sarah had to get enough wreaths. This proved to be a difficult task, so she asked for help from the 4-H Club. 4-H, which stands for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health, is a national program that helps kids learn a large selection of beneficial skills. Sarah’s children, Ben and Zoe, have both been members for years.
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The 4-H Club had numerous adults and children volunteer to build the wreaths from scratch. But even with these, Sarah needed more to reach her goal, so she asked local clubs and businesses to donate wreaths, materials, or money for the cause, and our community did not disappoint.
The Bridgewater Veteran's Agent, VFW Post 2125, Bridgewater Garden Club, Ousamequin Club of Bridgewater, Lowe’s in Dedham, and Bridgewater Farm Supply all pitched in different ways to contribute to the project. All told they had enough supplies, donations and volunteers for 270 wreaths.
Sarah expresses her sincere thanks to the community: “I am incredibly grateful to these groups. They took their own time, money, and resources to help us out. This project was much bigger and more difficult than I expected.” Through all the hard work and generosity of the local community, the group was able to lay 270 wreaths on the graves of our honored veterans.
Saint Thomas Aquinas Cemetary was chosen because it has the highest concentration of Veterans interred there. The wreath-laying ceremony took place with a volunteer bugler playing Taps while family members of the deceased were laying wreaths upon their graves.
When asked if she is interested in doing this again next year, she didn’t hesitate to reply “Definitely! I hope this becomes a Bridgewater tradition to take a moment each year to remember and thank our military members.”
Story & Photos submitted by John Norris.
Edited by J. Rose
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Historical Tidbit:
The invention of the Frisbee
In 1938, Walter Frederick Morrison and his future wife Lucile discovered a market for a light-duty flying disc when they were offered 25 cents for a cake pan that they were tossing back and forth on a beach near Los Angeles, California. "That got the wheels turning because you could buy a cake pan for five cents, and if people on the beach were willing to pay a quarter for it, well—there was a business," Morrison told The Virginian-Pilot newspaper in 2007.
The Morrisons sold cake pans until Walter served in the Air Force. After World War II, Morrison sketched a design for an aerodynamically improved flying disc. He and business partner Warren Franscioni began producing the first plastic discs in 1948 and named it the Flying-Saucer in the wake of reported unidentified flying objects. (Roswell was 1947).
Morrison formed his own company in 1954 called American Trends to sell his Flyin-Saucers, which were being manufactured in flexible polypropylene plastic by Southern California Plastics. He discovered it was more cost-effective to manufacture his own disc and designed the Pluto Platter in 1955. He sold the rights to Wham-O on January 23, 1957, of this archetype of all modern flying discs.
In June 1957, Wham-O co-founders Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin named the disc "Frisbee" after learning about the New England college craze of tossing Frisbie Pie tins. Frisbie Pie Company (1871-1958) of Bridgeport, CT, made pies that were sold to many New England colleges. Students all over NE who had tossed and caught empty pie tins were now using the Pluto Platter and calling it a "Frisbie."
Ed Headrick, Wham-O inventor, patented designs for the modern frisbee (U.S. patent 3,359,678), developing the band of raised ridges called the Rings of Headrick to stabilize the frisbee's flight. The patent was issued on December 26, 1967. Today, the Frisbee is owned by Mattel Toy Manufacturers.
Compiled: J. Rose
Sources: www.thoughtco.com
wikipedia.org/Frisbee
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Academy Building Municipal Offices
66 Central Square
508-697-0921
BridgewaterMa.org
Bridgewater Public Library
15 South Street
508-697-3331
BridgewaterPublicLibrary.org
Cole-Yeaton Senior Center
10 Wally Krueger Way
508-697-0929
Council On Aging
Food Pantry
Central Square Congregational Church
71 Central Square 508-697-6016
Thursdays - 10a - 1p
1st Monday of each month from 6 - 7:30p
Food-Pantry
St Vincent dePaul Food Pantry
@ St Thomas Aquinas Church
103 Center St
2 x month 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m
Check for Dates
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Congratulations!
Mary Witkowsky
won
a $25 gift certificate to Johnny Macaroni's Restaurant, East Bridgewater & Halifax
johnnymacaronis.com
Bee sure to play our Historical Tidbit Trivia Game at the bottom of this newsletter.
Enter for this week's prize of
a 45 page FarmYard Christmas
Coloring Book
with Daily Affirmations and Family Traditions
by Nwanneka Udeka
of Unique Strides Therapy
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Mix & Music Open Mic
Tue, Dec 17
Sign-ups start at 5:30p
Performances 6-9p
Cedar Street Community Center
15 Cedar St
Hosted by Kim Hill
What a festive night it's going to be! The Mix N' Music Open Mic Night at the Cedar Center will Feature BOB RICHARDS (The Piano Man) Bob will play lovely Holiday Christmas tunes on the piano that we can all sing along to 🙂 This event will also be a POT LUCK hors d'oeuvres occasion. So bring a plate of your favorite Christmas cookies or vegetable tray, some potato chips and dip or whatever kind of dish you'd like to share. There will be plenty of coffee and tea but if you want something else BYOD (bring own drink) Sign up 5:30 pm and Open Mic starts @ 6pm.
Can't wait to see everyone! Ho Ho Ho and Fa la la la la!!!! 🎅
Video by J.Rose
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New Grant Opportunity founded by Taunton River Stewardship Council
"We are excited to offer the River Stewardship Grant program to assist watershed communities in addressing woody obstructions in our rivers. Large fallen trees and branches prevent recreational access, hinder fish passage and can lead to additional flooding concerns. The grant funding supports towns who are looking to improve river access."
The Taunton River Stewardship Council (TRSC) is pleased to offer the River Stewardship Grants Program with the purpose of supporting local efforts to address streamflow obstruction and reduced river access in the Taunton River and its tributaries. In recent years, the TRSC has been notified of numerous areas along the Taunton River and its tributaries that are inundated with instream wood obstruction preventing safe recreational passage and potential impaired fish passage. We acknowledge that instream wood is ultimately a benefit for the river ecosystem, providing habitat, bank stability, and river-channel stability. We also recognize that recreation and fish passage are important values with the Taunton River system. The need for this fragile balance is why the TRSC River Stewardship Grants Program was developed.
Requests for funding can range from $500 to $10,000. All funding requests should be presented to the TRSC and are voted upon at regularly scheduled meetings.
If you are interested in applying for a River Stewardship Grant through the Taunton River Stewardship Council, please read the guidelines and email all materials to Gloria Bancroft at director@savethetaunton.org.
Reposted From: Taunton River Stewardship Council Website
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December Gift Card
Promotion
Offer valid through 12/31/24
In - Person Promo: For every $50 spent on gift cards, receive a $10 bonus card to be used on your future Johnny Mac's orders! (Bonus cards valid 1/1/2025 thru 2/28/2025)
Online Promo: Save 10% on all gift cards purchased on johnnymacaronis.com: use promo code: GCHOLIDAY10
eat well * laugh often * love much
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Disability is NOT Inability Forum
On October 22, Bridgewater Communities for Civil Rights (BCCR) had the privilege of hosting a forum titled "Disability is NOT Inability" at Bridgewater Public Library. Speakers Angela Sheble, Alina Poklad, and Mark Henderson (left from right) shared their individual stories about the challenges they often face with accessibility while they continue to live full lives. Thank you, Angela, Alina, and Mark, for taking the time to share your stories, and thank you to BCCR for hosting this educational forum! BTV Access recording: Disability is not Inability.
Story & Photo Credit: BCCR
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Planning for Resilient Water Supply ~
Old Colony Planning
| The Regional Water Survey is NOW LIVE! OCPC and the Steering Committee are seeking your feedback to guide the region's first plan for resilient water supply! We need your help. Please take just ten minutes to complete this anonymous survey to tell us how what you think about drinking water quality, environmental protection, and affordability/reliability. | | | | |
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First Parish UU's Holy Day Fair
Complete with soup sale, cookie walk, crafters and music! Lots of fun! Click on the video above for a beautiful Christmas song from Barry and Patty Simon.
Video by J. Rose
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Fireside Folk Songs
Wed, Dec 18
6-7p
Bridgewater Public Library
15 South St
Join us for a live performance by Bridgewater Bard, Thomas Joseph Kelley, Jr.
The evening will feature Irish sing-alongs and folksy tales. Enjoy Frosty the Snowman, Whisky in the Jar, Galway Girl, and Edgar Allen Poe's The Bells. All ages are welcome, and no registration is required. Come sing with us!
Source: BPL
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Holiday Handmade Shop
at Fuller Craft
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Holiday Handmade Shop at Fuller Craft is now open for the season!
Support local crafters and shop an array of handmade items – perfect for any gift or occasion!
Visit: fullercraft.org/museum-shop/
Like us on Facebook
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Unique Strides Therapy - A Fun and Educational Christmas Gift! | |
Get your child a gift that's both fun and educational! FarmYard Christmas includes 45 unique coloring pages, affirmations, and traditions! It's a great activity to encourage self-love, gratitude, and family connection during the holidays.
Grab Your Copy Here!
UniqueStridesTherapy.com
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Bridgewater Community Dance
Circles, Squares, Contra & Folk
Fri, Dec 20
7-9p
Bridgewater Senior Center
10 Wally Kruger Way
$8 / pp
No Partner or experience is needed!
All dances taught by Sam Baumgarten
BW Community Dance FB event
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2024 Powder Puff Football Highlights
Video courtesy of BTV
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Actors All Call:
Looking for Angels, Shephards & Farm Animals
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COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS PAGEANT -
Sun Dec 22
Children check in at 12:30 pm
Pageant & Carol Sing: 3 pm
Join Our Christmas Pageant!
Children between the ages of 6 - 12 years old are invited to act out the Christmas story with us. Costumes provided!
Parents are welcome to go get elfen magic done or attend the rehearsal.
Directed by Jacquelyn Rose & Musical Director Elliott Talley
Union Congregational Church
a UCC Open & Affirming Parish
105 Pleasant Street, East Bridgewater
Register: uccofeb.org
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BuzzAround Giveaway ~
Enter to Win a 2-Night Getaway
| As part of our BuzzAround winter celebration, we’re excited to offer a variety of prizes in a special giveaway! Click the button below to enter for a chance to win and see all the other prizes available. Grand Prize: A 2-Night Mountain Experience Package for 4 at Smugglers' Notch Resort in Vermont! This amazing package includes mountainside lodging, lift tickets, access to the pool and hot tubs, and participation in the resort's entertainment and activity schedule. | | | | |
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Fire For Effect Invites You to a Statewide Watch Party of 6888
Fri, Dec 20
4:30- 8p
BTV Spring St
A collaboration between 3-5-0 girls, VA Massachusetts Healthcare Systems, MA Women Veterans Network, and MA Executive Office of Veterans Affairs.
Register HERE on this jot form
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Bridgewater Fire Department Spreads Holiday Cheer
Operation Santa in Bridgewater, organized by the local fire department and supported by schools, businesses, and civic groups, provides holiday gifts to families in need. The initiative collects, sorts, and prepares donations, including toys, clothing, and essential items, at the fire station.
Community members can drop off toys or gift cards at the fire station located at 22 School Street. Additionally, monetary donations are welcome and can be made via checks payable to "Operation Santa," mailed to the same address. Together, we can bring holiday cheer to local families in need. The department appreciates the community's generous support.
For more information, call 508-697-0900
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Climate Can Do:
Eco-Friendly Gifting
This holiday season, let’s give our communities the gift of zero waste! Here are a few things to look out for and a few tips for giving (and wrapping) earth-conscious presents:
Shop recyclable: most shiny wrapping paper and glittery cards are not recyclable. Try brown or recycled paper or reusable fabric totes or sacks.
Save energy: holiday lights make wonderful decor, but we should be mindful of their impact on the environment. Keeping your lights on a timer or setting aside time to turn them off can save you money on your electric bill and energy. Also, consider what types of lights you’re using. LED lights consume up to 80% less energy than traditional incandescent lights and last 10 times longer. Switching to LEDs will reduce your carbon footprint and present a lesser risk of fire.
Eliminate excess: a family game of Secret Santa is not only fun and personal but can save you from buying a gift or two for everyone at the party. Additionally, if you are careful with your decor and the wrappings you receive with presents, they can save you time, money, and waste for next Christmas! Reuse and upcycle decor, wrapping, ribbons, string, and even Christmas cards, which can be cut up to make tags.
Buy Local: save time, get personalized attention, and make someone's dreams come true, spend your holiday dollars at a small, local business.
Source: www.thecommons.earth, www.wildlifetrusts.org
This Climate Can Do was written by Sara MacKinnon, BuzzAround Intern, Providence College.
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The Longest Night Service
Sat, Dec 21
7p
Central Square Congregational Church
This month is one of holiday celebrations but it also brings the shortest day and the longest night of the year. This time of year can bring back memories of past pain, sorrow, and grief. We will gather together on the longest night to support each other in care and in love. csccucc.org
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Town Council Meeting 12/3/2024
Video courtesy of Town of Bridgewater
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Bridgewater Christmas on the Common Parade 2024
Video courtesy of BTV
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Thank You to Everyone Who Attended the First Annual Long Live Jack Fortune Memorial Soccer Tournament!
This week, Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School hosted the first annual Long Live Jack Fortune Memorial Soccer Tournament in honor and loving memory of Jack Fortune. The event consisted of raffles, a silent auction, a 50/50, local food trucks, and a 6v6 soccer tournament. All proceeds benefit the Long Live Jack Fortune Foundation, and thanks to an awesome turnout and participation, the event raised a significant amount for the fund.
The Long Live Jack Fortune Foundation preserves Jack's memory in academic, entrepreneurial, and community-building initiatives, including scholarships and this new memorial soccer tournament at BRHS. In honor of Jack and the spirit of competition, dedication, and sportsmanship, the tournament officials honored outstanding individuals with the following awards:
Best Goal: Tyler Reynolds
Sportsmanship Award: Matt Fratalia
Most Spirited: Max Hayward
Golden Boot Award: Jake Cady
Jack Thomas Fortune Award: Connor Gleim and Haylie Fortune
Most Dedicated: Connor Gleim
With this new tradition, the Bridgewater Raynham community has created a special space to come together and celebrate Jack's spirit for years to come. Thank you to all the volunteers, participants, and supporters who came out and enjoyed the event!
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Story & Photo Credit: Long Live Jack Fortune FB
Sara MacKinnon, BuzzAround Intern, Providence College
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WEEKLY TRIVIA GAME
Have fun with us and bee entered to win:
a 45 page FarmYard Christmas
Coloring Book
with Daily Affirmations and Family Traditions
by Nwanneka Udeka
of Unique Strides Therapy
Historical Tidbit Question:
Who were the Wham-o co-owners in 1957?
Email us your answer at:
Prizes@buzzaround.info
Please include your name and phone number.
Prize Box Rules
By entering, you give us permission to print your name in next week's Buzz Around.
On December 18, 2024, before 2p, we will randomly pick a winner from the correct answers.
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'Tis the Season of Giving
“No one has ever become poor by giving.” ~ Anne Frank
“Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.” ~ Roy T. Bennett
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
~ Pablo Picasso
“One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.” ~ Shannon L. Alder
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The simple gift of time & your attention means more than any gift you could give.
Wishing you all the joy of each other's company.
~ Jacquie
| The Buzz Around is brought to you this week by: Sara MacKinnon, Alexa Pennington, Jamie Puhi, Jacquelyn Rose & Greg Venezia | | | |
Your BuzzAround supports the dignity of all human beings, is actively anti-racist, and supportive of good law enforcement policies. | |
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Copyright 2024 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 12/15/24")
Disclaimer: At the Buzz Around, we promote community and family. There are links to town committees and other non-profit groups in the newsletters. Individual groups are responsible for how they represent themselves on their websites and in their promotional materials. BuzzAround is not responsible for the media content of other organizations.
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