Brockton BuzzAround

July 27, 2025



~ Building Community One Positive Story at a Time.

ACT-SO Winners 2025

The Brockton Area NAACP is celebrating several huge wins this summer. From attending the 116th Annual NAACP National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina Wednesday, July 9 to Wednesday, July 16, to partipating in the ACT-SO competitions.

Eight young members of our Brockton Area NAACP attended the convention, teaching the next generation of POC leaders how we organize to get things done !

ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics) is a youth program that helps high school students research and develop skills around their passions. At the end of every year, the participants bring their culminating works to compete for scholarships and other awards. This year, Brockton Area NAACP is proud to announce two national winners: Leah Pires and Sonia Warrick. Pires won two awards, with a silver medal in Ballet and a gold medal in Modern Dance. Warrick also successfully secured a gold medal, beating out the competition in the Earth and Space Science competition. Congratulations to these powerful young women!

Written by: Bella Fazio, Wellesley College, Buzz Around Intern

Sources: Brockton Area NAACP FB, naacp.org

Open House and Sign Up for the Civil Service Exam

Wed, Jul 30

6-8p

7 Commercial St.

Exam Application due: Thu, Aug 7

"The first step to becoming a Brockton Police Officer is to take the Civil Service Exam. The time to act is now!

The sign-up period for the 2025 Civil Service Exam is open until August 7th. This is your opportunity to serve, protect, and make a meaningful difference in our community.

Don’t wait—go ahead and take that first step toward an exciting and fulfilling career in law enforcement.

Want to learn more? Check it out and apply here: www.mass.gov"

In addition, the City of Brockton Police Department will be hosting an Open House on Wednesday, July 30. Come stop by the station to meet members of the Police Department and Civil Service. Learn more about the Civil Service process from the experts themselves!

Sources: Brockton Police Department FB, Brockton Adult Learning Center FB

Poet Laureate Applications

Due Wed, Jul 30

"A Community Call to Celebrate the Literary Voices of Our City

Paul Engle, Director of the Brockton Public Library, is proud to officially launch the search for the city’s next Poet Laureate (2025–2027) and Youth Poet Laureate (2025–2026). This citywide initiative continues Brockton’s commitment to supporting the literary arts and fostering a culture of creativity and civic pride. These honorary positions serve as both ambassadors and advocates for the literary arts in Brockton, using poetry to bring people together, elevate community voices, and promote dialogue across generations.

To the Brockton Youth:

We believe in your potential, and your city needs to hear your voice. As Youth Poet Laureate, you will represent Brockton’s next generation of artists and civic leaders. Your work will inspire your peers, spotlight your community, and affirm poetry’s unique role in personal and public expression.

Deadline is July 30th. For more information, click the link below.

brocktonpubliclibrary.org"

Repost: Brockton Public Library FB

Brockton Area Prevention Collaborative

Submit Photos for the 2025 Annual Overdose Vigil by Candlelight

The Collaborative's 2025 Annual Overdose Vigil by Candlelight will be held on Tuesday, August 26 at Massasoit Community College.

If you would like to submit a photograph of your loved one to be included in our memorial slideshow, please send to photo.vigil@gmail.com. All photos submitted from previous years will continue to be included. Brockton Mayor's Opioid Overdose Prevention Coalition

Tiff's Chariot Restaurant Review: Cabo Vegan

BuzzAround's favorite roving reporter, Bridgewaterite and Travel Blogger, Tiffany Rose, shares her experience at Cabo Vegan.

I found a little Vegan, Family-owned Restaurant, and it is a GEM! - CABO VEGAN 

Where? Brockton -  20 Main St

I didn't think we had any local restaurants fully dedicated to vegan food, so when I saw there was a vegan restaurant in Brockton, I knew I had to try it!

This family-owned restaurant has been there for over a year, where have I been?! It is small, the best restaurants usually are. My mom and I went there one rainy Saturday. There is a little bit of a steep incline for a wheelchair, but owner Tome, ran over to hold the door open for us! They don’t have a parking lot, but there is street parking right out front and a parking garage around the corner.

It's not that big inside, we sat at a table, Tome gave us menus, and took our order. After giving co-owner / chef Valery our order, Tome talked with us, making us feel like family he hadn’t seen in a while! I was seated with my back to the room, but it being a rainy Saturday, the place was quiet, except for a family picking up takeout and DoorDash deliveries. 

As we waited for our food, we were accompanied by their 2-year-old son and his dinosaur collection. While talking about raptors, his father came out and gave him avocado toast, which had big, green, fresh, whole avocado slices. After Valery was done preparing our order, she came out and talked with us about life, the family, and the business like we were long-time friends!

I got the vegan lobster roll. I've only ever seen this offered in New York City. I thought this was much bigger and much better; they use Hearts of Palm instead of lobster. We also got an order of onion rings, which you can’t mess up. For dessert, Mom and I both got the frozen pineapple, mango, and coconut milk smoothie. My only note was that you can't really drink it with a straw. It was more like sherbert, a spoon was necessary. It was very filling and definitely hit the spot. I could only eat half of it in one sitting, just meant more for later! I was very pleased with Cabo Vegan. I will definitely be back. I highly recommend it, you don’t even have to be Vegan to eat there and enjoy it!

Written by Tiffany Rose, Tiff's Chariot

Edited by J. Rose

Source: Tiff's Chariot and Cabo Vegan

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Brockton Bikes Announces Brockton Walks!

"After many requests, we launched Brockton Walks! It will be organized similarly to Brockton Bikes - regular recurring walks, most walks originating downtown; the walks are about community as they are about staying fit. Anyone who is interested should fill out our survey so we can determine when to have the walks, how often, preferred distances, and more."

Survey link: Google Forms

Repost: Brockton Bikes info@brocktonbikes.org

Lawn at East

Sat, Aug 2

11a-2p

54 Kingman St.

"🌞 Celebrate Summer with Family Fun!🌞 Bring the whole family to the East Branch Library every Saturday starting July 12th for a fun-filled, FREE summer adventure! 🎉 Whether rain or shine, we’ve got something exciting for everyone: ✨ Enjoy interactive performances 🎯 Play giant yard games 🔬 Try out hands-on STEM activities 💥 Discover what makes Brockton’s community so special! It’s a great way to spend quality time together and make unforgettable memories! 📅 Saturdays, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM 📍 54 Kingman St. Don’t miss out – the fun is just getting started!"

Repost: Brockton Public Library

Brockton Mid-Summer Celebration and Music and Art Fest

Sat, Aug 2

11a-5p

250 Crescent St.

"Join us on Saturday, August 2 for the Brockton Mid-Summer Celebration and Music and Art Fest. A free, fun, family-friendly afternoon with music, art, children’s activities, food and vendors from 11 AM to 5 PM at beautiful Salisbury Park on Crescent Street in Brockton. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and enjoy live music by local musicians. LP Groove, Bag Full of Blues, Just 2 Guys and Priority Station. Bring a picnic lunch or purchase from our food vendors - Lady C & J, Mig’s Dogs and the Brockton Lions Club Watermelon booth."

Submitted by: Nancy Krushas nancyk76@comcast.net

Free Art Reception

Sat, Aug 2

5-9p

86 Centre St.

"Everyone is invited to attend the free art exhibit and reception at Enso Gallery West, 86 Centre Street in Brockton on Saturday, August 2, 2025 from 5:00 p.m. till 9:00 p.m. “Moments in Time” is hosting sixteen artists from across the area and across the country. Their works will be available for sale. Parking is free all over downtown and a lot is block away. For more information, please contact Rolly Blanchette at Rolly@BrocktonArts.org or visit the website www.BrocktonArts.org."

Free Tickets to the Brockton Rox!

Old Colony YMCA has partnered with the Brockton Rox baseball team to provide up to 6 free tickets per Old Colony member to each of the Sunday home games. To get your tickets, show your Old Colony YMCA membership card at the Rox ticket office. Let's play ball!

Source: Old Colony YMCA FB

Brockton Area Prevention Collaborative 2025 Overdose Vigil

Tue Aug 26th

Resource tables open 6p

Candlelight program begins 7p.

Massasoit Community College’s Quad.

Photo submissions due by August 12, 2025

BAPC is made up of five local community coalitions including the Brockton Mayor's Opioid Overdose Prevention Coalition, Bridging LIVES, EB Hope, Rockland CARES and Whitman Hanson WILL.

International Overdose Awareness Day is observed each year on August 31st, providing communities across the globe an opportunity to remember those who have died from overdose and to support their loved ones who continue to carry their memory forward. Locally, BAPC commemorates this day by creating a memorial slideshow honoring individuals from Southeastern Massachusetts who have lost their lives to substance use disorder.

Through the power of personal photographs, the slideshow seeks to humanize the crisis, reduce

stigma, and encourage compassion. This is the twelfth year BAPC has organized this memorial tribute.

In addition to the memorial slideshow, the vigil will feature reflections from local speakers sharing

personal and community perspectives on substance use disorder and recovery. The evening is

intended to foster connection, promote healing, and remind all those impacted that they are not

alone and are deeply valued.

To include a loved one in this year’s slideshow, please email their photograph, along with their full

name, to photo.vigil@gmail.com by Tuesday, August 12th. We ask that submissions come from

immediate family members. Photos must be clear, high quality, and depict the individual as they

were in life — not actively using substances. Screenshots, images of prayer cards, or low-resolution files cannot be included due to display limitations. BAPC FB

Cornerstone Concert Series

Piano & Organ 6-29-25

Courtesy of The Brockton Channels

Summer Concert Series - Knock On Wood 7-9-25

Courtesy of The Brockton Channels

Climate Can-Do:

Farm Fresh Eggs

The eggs that you buy may have an impact on your overall health. Knowing where your eggs come from is important to understanding the nutritional values that you are getting from your eggs and the quality of the eggs you buy. Overall, eggs that come from free-range chickens are preferable. 

Free-range: chickens have access to the outdoors and are able to participate in natural behaviors such as nesting and laying eggs. This is the style most commonly used by smaller local farms. 

Cage-free: chickens are not kept in cages, but have little to no access to the outdoors.

Studies have shown the following benefits of free-range eggs over cage-free eggs:

⅓ less cholesterol

¼ less saturated fat

⅔ more Vitamin A

3X more Vitamin E

7X more beta-carotene

2X Omega-3 fatty acids

In addition, free-range eggs are 6X higher in Vitamin D, have significantly more B Vitamins, and contain more antioxidants.

Make sure to shop locally for high-quality, nutritional eggs!

Written by: Bella Fazio, Wellesley College, Buzz Around Intern

Source: rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu

Name That Tune 1 Summer Camp 2025 Session 1 7-7-25

Courtesy of The Brockton Channels

Name That Tune 2 Summer Camp 2025 Session 1 7-15-25"

Courtesy of The Brockton Channels

Reading Frederick Douglass Together 2025

On Saturday, July 12, Brocktonians gathered to participate in the 11th Annual reading of Frederick Douglass: “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” speech. The reading was hosted by the Frederick Douglass Neighborhood Association from 10a-12p at the Frederick Douglass Avenue Park. There, community members gathered to reflect, honor, and raise our voices in unity. Brockton is proud to be the only city in Massachusetts to present the speech in multiple languages, including Haitian Creole, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Polish, Vietnamese, Lithuanian, and more. This event is made possible with support from Mass Humanities, Mass Cultural Council, and in partnership with the African American Association.

This powerful piece is an incredibly important piece of American history. It acknowledges the humanistic ideals of the Founding Fathers while calling to attention the hypocrisy that the United States has historically committed against people of color. The repetition of this speech serves to remind communities of the full history of "freedom" in the United States so that we may keep that perspective in mind.

Frederick Douglass July 4th Speech Reading 7-12-25

Courtesy of The Brockton Channels

Written by: Bella Fazio, Wellesley College, Buzz Around Intern

Sources: Reading Frederick Douglass Together Brockton FB event, Frederick Douglass Neighborhood Association FB, nmaahc.si.edu

Photo Credits: Marc Osborne.

To see his photo album, visit lightroom.adobe.com

Your BuzzAround supports the dignity of all human beings, is actively anti-racist, and supportive of good law enforcement policies. 

Copyright 2025 Buzz Around Brockton. 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 Brockton 7/27/25")

Your BuzzAround supports the dignity of all human beings, is actively anti-racist, and supportive of good law enforcement policies.  At the Buzz Around, we promote community. The links provided are for informational purposes. BuzzAround is not responsible for the media content of other organizations.