May 31, 2020
~ Building Community One Positive Story at a Time
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Silver Lake Regional High School Drive By Graduation Parade
Jazlin and Johnathan, recent graduates of Silver Lake Regional High School, received a big surprise graduation drive by from the Halifa
x community. Jazlin will be joining the post graduate Pathways program this year.
The Pathways Program is run by Laura Courage for Silver Lake Regional High School graduates. Pathways
is an 18 to 22 program that prepares students with disabilities that need support transitioning from high school to becoming young adults. It prepares them for job internships, future jobs, personal care, cooking, socialization, riding public transportation, and shopping/money management.
Thank you to the Halifax Police officers Boncariewski and Deroo; Jonathan Seeling and all of the Wonderful People, SL teachers, students, parents, Best Buddies, all of the cool cars, motorcycles and awesome trucks for making
Tracy Smith
's big Surprise Graduation drive by for Jazlin and Jonathan who will be joining Pathways Program with their friends this coming year.
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Historical Tidbit:
Monponsett Ponds
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Monponsett Pond in Halifax is also known as Monponsett Lake and/or Twin Lakes. This body of water is actually a system of two ponds, East and West Lake that is connected by a causeway. Although
Halifax
claims the lakes a small portion of West Monponsett Pond extends into
Hanson
. The western basin is 282 acres, and the eastern basin is 246 acres. The average depth of both ponds is seven feet and the maximum depth is 13 feet. The outflow is Stump Brook, a tributary of
Poor Meadow Brook
, in the northwestern part of West Monponsett Pond. The pond is part of the
Taunton River Watershed
.
The Ponds in the Major's Purchase, a large tract of lands bought from Josias Wampatuck of the Massachusetts by a group of English investors, with only two exceptions, drain into the ocean to the east. Monponsett is unique in that while it is only seven miles from the ocean to the east it finds its outlet to the sea 40 miles away at Bristol Rhode Island. Ponds in our abutting towns of Hanson and Pembroke are called the Mattakeeset Ponds and fall about the same distance as our Monponsett Pond. When bodies of water shed their surplus water in shortened distances the disturbances caused are apt to be destructive. The run off accordingly is seldom violent from Monponsett nor in any of the Taunton River system.
Years ago,
unknown if still true today
, eight feet of water at the dam on Furnace street would have risen Monponsett only two feet. A three foot rise at the Titicut Falls checks the Taunton River current at the Childs Bridge on Cherry Street. This bridge is a bound between Bridgewater and Halifax. The point being that that in six miles the drop is only three feet. Put another way, from Monponsett to Taunton which is tide water and just 20 miles away, the water falls only one foot per mile.
In the early 1800's Halifax paid twenty-one dollars for nine hundred herring that it took to stock the ponds. Until the factories at the Bosworth Mill site on Furnace Street got to numerous there used to be a great supply of herring in the pond and a fee was collected for the taking of the humble fish. But by far the toll taken from licensed iron ore diggers was the greatest source of income for the town. The rate at the time the furnace and forge were running was 25 cents a ton. At one time the price rose to 50 cents.
Monponsett Pond was a choice fishing source for pike. Sportsmen came from long distances to enjoy this plentiful supply of a species that then was popular. And of course, with such a source at hand individuals took advantage and fished commercially. The main outlet for the catch was the Boston Market. 2,000 pounds was once noted as a delivery to the market.
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Respectfully submitted by
Sue Basille
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Town Hall
781-294-1316
Office personnel available through phone
and email only.
For needed updates, check the town website.
Holmes Public Library
781-293-2271
Office personnel available through phone
and email only.
Council on Aging
506 Plymouth Street
781-293-7313
Office personnel available through phone
and email only. All in person activities and
events are suspended.
Food Pantries
Halifax Congregational Church
503 Plymouth St. (Rt 106)
781-293-6393
Tuesdays -2:30 - 4p
St Vincent De Paul
Our Lady of the Lake Church
580 Monponsett St, Halifax
(781) 293- 7971
2nd & 4th Saturday 9a
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Congratulations!
Deb Caggiano
won a
Jump Start Training Package including nutrition consultation & 6 free sessions from
Get In Shape For Women ($279 value) at 180 Winter St, Bridgewater for when they reopen.
You should play our
Historical Tidbit Trivia Game
at the bottom of this newsletter.
You could win a
45 min Reiki Treatment from Jacquelyn Rose to be used when restrictions are lifted.
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Setting Positive Intentions in
Monponsett Pond
On May 26th, a group of energy healers and Reiki practitioners gathered together to create this healing grid for the pond. Each person prepared Reiki water and collected crystals, berries, and other treasures from the woods while setting their intentions for healing. Anyone who would like to join in the positive energy, set your intentions for healing and send them to the pond and to the grid.
If you'd like to send energy but not sure what to do, you may use this intention: "I ask at this time that healing loving energy surround the pond and all of its inhabitants big and small. May positive healing energy embrace the pond and heal its water. May balance, harmony, and homeostasis be restored. May this positive energy touch the hearts of all decision makers and may they find favor in our pond and for all of those who enjoy it. May the finned, the winged, the creepy crawly, the four legged, the two legged, and all creatures big and small receive this love"
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Free Face Masks Made by
Jessica Erwin
Jessica Erwin has sewn and hung up masks, adults and children sizes for anyone in need. She has made over 700 masks with the help of her husband, her sister in law, and mother in law. They are at
279 South St. She would like to remind everyone to always disinfect your masks before wearing. They are in baggies in the sun so they may a little condensation in the bags. Stay safe everyone.
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Celebrating Silver Lake Regional High School Senior's Graduating
Class of 2020
Silver Lake Regional High School Senior class of 2020 officially graduates on May 30th, but there are many surprises in store for them, including a warm send off from the students Elementary teachers of KES, KIS, Halifax Elementary, and Dennett Elementary.
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$1,000 Scholarships Announced
T
he MassHire Greater Brockton Workforce Board is pleased to announce a new scholarship program for graduating seniors within our Connecting Activities Partnership. From now until June 15, 2020, applications will be accepted from graduating seniors of the Class of 2020. $1,000 Scholarships will be awarded on or by June 30. Advancing college and career readiness, the Connecting Activities Partnership promotes the connection between education and employment through internships and career awareness. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2020!!
Who is Eligible? Graduating seniors from: Brockton Public Schools, Avon High School, Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical HS, Oliver Ames High School, Abington High School, Stoughton High School, Whitman-Hanson High School, South Shore Regional Vocational Technical HS, and Bridgewater Raynham High School.
Application Deadline is June 15, 2020.
Click
here to view and share application.
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Message from Halifax Board of Health
With DPH’s safety threshold of 70,000: 4,325 cells per milliliter of blue green algae (cyanobacteria), this week has some good news for us!
· Cyanobacteria is a strange creature and sometimes has a fast die-off or “crash”, and we do not always know the reason for it.
· Last week's count for the West Monponsett pond was well over 70,000 and the West Monponsett pond had to close. While the results for this week are certainly good news, according to DPH ‘s rules, we need two weeks below the safety threshold to open up again.
West Monponsett Pond:
Dolichospermum flosaquae, count of 4,325 cells per milliliter
East Monponsett Pond:
Dolichospermum flosaquae, count of 2,933 cells per milliliter
Here’s hoping for another good week
!
Cathleen Drinan
Halifax Board of Health
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If Staying Home Doesn't Sound Good to you...
Family and Community Resources, Inc. is here to help
. If you, or someone you love, are worried about continuing to be quarantined in a home where you do not feel safe, call our 24 Hour Hotline 508-583-6498. Multi-lingual advocates provide the following free, confidential services to survivors and their children including: a 24-Hour Crisis Line, Safety Planning and Crisis Intervention, Transitional Housing Support, Individual & Group Support, Mental Health Counseling and Support for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence. To learn more, call us at 508-583-6498 or go online to
fcr-ma.org
for more information about our programs and services.
You can also call the National Domestic Abuse Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
thehotline.org
, and SafeLink 24/7 Crisis Hotline: (877) 785-2020 or (877) 521-2601 (TTY).
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Stay home and dress up your gardens!
Order your mulch online today!
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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
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Town of Halifax Announcements
*Mosquito Spraying Begins on June 1st.
The Plymouth County Mosquito Control District will begin spraying for adult mosquitoes on Monday, June 1 including various streets in Halifax. The list of streets will be updated daily on the
District's web site. See the site for information as to how to have your street sprayed.
*Free Curbside Textile Recycling Service Coming to Halifax begins July 29th.
Residents will be able to recycle unwanted textiles and small household items simply by bagging them and leaving them at the curb on their regular recycling collection day. Halifax is providing the new service in partnership with Simple Recycling. The service is free.
Solon, Ohio-based Simple Recycling (
www.simplerecycling.com) aims to change all that. The company provides free curbside collection and recycling of unwanted textiles and housewares to communities across the United States. Currently, Simple Recycling serves nearly two million households across eight states, and will soon be serving residents in Halifax.
Simple Recycling will send informational mailers to homes that receive recycling collection, the mailers will contain free Simple Recycling bags.
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Town Election Day Updates
The date of the Annual Town Election has been changed from Saturday, May 16, 2020 to
Saturday, June 20, 2020.
Election Day for Town positions will be at the
Halifax Elementary School Gym from 10a to 6p.
Residents of Halifax may register to vote at the Town Clerk's office during regular office hours. In addition, residents can
register to vote online via the Massachusetts Secretary of State's office.
Also, you may request a voter registration form be mailed to you by contacting this office.
Absentee ballots are available for all elections. Requests must be made in writing. Please contact this office if you have any questions. If you wish to vote absentee, please contact the Town Clerk's Office at 781-293-7970.
A sample ballot will be available before the election.
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Missing your exercise or art class? Click on one of the links below and try this at home.
As always please check with your doctor before participating in any exercise class!
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Grant's sends out support & care to all of our communities.
We're all in this together.
10 Bedford Park, Bridgewater
(508) 279-0950
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BEAUTY COUNTER
CHRISTINE HARKINS
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What you put on your skin matters!!!
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Holmes Public Library Curbside Pickup
Haven't placed a hold online before?
781-293-2271.
They'll let you know when your items are ready for pickup
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Gilmore Run Club Free Run Fridays
Parents - are you looking for something different to keep your kids occupied? Maybe give them a fun challenge? Gilmore Run Club is offering free run Fridays
every Friday until June 26th
.
Gilmore Run Club is located in Brockton, but is open to kids in other towns to participate in free physical activity. It is run by Brian McCarthy.
Send in your creative photos of the run to the Instagram page
@Gilmorerunclub, or email
brianmccarthy@bpsma.org.
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Memorial Day Flags In Front of Town Hall
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) have placed rows of American flags in front of the town hall in preparation for Memorial Day. The green space is beautifully decorated in red, white and blue. Thank you veterans for your service!
The flag installation will stay in place until Sunday, June 7. The Board of Selectmen encourages all residents to honor veterans on Memorial Day and every other day in a safe and responsible manner.
Photo & Story credits: Wilford Corey
Selectmen notes: Charlie Seelig, Halifax Town Administrator
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WEEKLY TRIVIA GAME
Have fun with us and bee entered to win
a 45 min Reiki Treatment from
Jacquelyn Rose to be used when restrictions are lifted.
Historical Tidbit Question:
How much did it cost to stock the ponds?
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 June 3, 2020 we will randomly pick a winner from the correct answers.
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Confidence
When you have confidence, you can do anything.” ~ Sloane Stevens
“Confidence comes from hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication.” ~ Robert Staubach
“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”
~ Norman Vincent Peale
Confidence and Grit are going to bounce us back from this. Confidence that we can do it, and the grit ( hard work) to make it happen.
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Hope our good news gives you confidence to launch your next project. There are loving and helpful people all around you.
And when you do... we're here to publish your stories of grit!
Have a great week, Jacquie : )
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The Buzz Around is brought to you this week by: Jen Bellody, Theresa McNulty, Janice O'Brien, Stacy Rancourt, Sasha Rockwell, Jacquelyn Rose & Gregory Venezia
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Copyright 2020 Buzz Around Halifax.
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 Halifax 5/31/2020")
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.
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