June 14, 2020 ~ Building Community One Positive Story at a Time.
Whitman Hanson Senior Parade Pictures
Whitman Hanson 2020 senior car parade May 29th. Whitman Hanson Community Access' Facebook page has uploaded over 300 photos from the event for everyone to look back on. They're encouraging the people involved to go through the pictures and tag anyone you know in them.
Photograph and video credits:  WhitmanHansonCommunityAccess
Historical Tidbit:

The Town of Industry

The shoe industry, along with chocolate chip cookies, put Whitman on the map with around twenty shoemakers. The Commonwealth Shoe and Leather Company, a highly successful business, made the ever-popular Bostonian shoe. Although production ceased in the 1970's, the former factory has been beautifully restored into loft style apartments at 7 Marble Street.

Whitman is best known for being the birthplace of the chocolate chip cookie. A recipe invented by Ruth Graves Wakefield dates from 1938. She served the piping-hot cookies accented with Nestle semisweet chocolate pieces that she broke up with an ice pick at the Toll House Inn, built circa 1817. Unfortunately, the inn was destroyed by fire on New Year's Eve 1984. A commemorative sign stands at the location of the former restaurant at 362 Bedford Street (Route 18).

Since Whitman was a town based on industry, some former mill sites can still be seen today; others have been completely destroyed. White rehabilitation has breathed a second life into certain factories, others lay in ruin with their fate in question.

All town buildings are closed to the public, please call or email for assistance.

Town Hall
781-618-9700
Check the town website for
needed updates


Public Library
781-447-7613

Council on Aging
781-447-7619
COA

St. Vincent de Paul/Whitman Food Pantry
By appointment only: 781-447-8560
Congratulations!
Jean Hatch
won a
$10 gift certificate to  Mama Deb's Food Truck.

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

You could win a
$50 gift certificate to Beauty Counter products  through Independent Consultant Christine Harkins. The clean revolution

Chief Timothy Hanlon and the members of the Whitman Police Department would like to thank the organizers and participants of the Peaceful Protest & Vigil held (June 7). The message delivered by the organizers was very powerful and brought the community together. Working together and planning the event made it a safe and positive experience for all who attended, and we couldn't be prouder of the community we serve.
Whitman Board of Selectmen Meeting. June 9, 2020. Video Courtesy of WHCA
Grab Life By the Beans

Matt Wood, Restoration Coffee owner, is saying good-bye to his Whitman location, located inside Bostonian Barber after two years.

"I was just a guy, who's life had been turned upside down, with a dream. As I was trying to restore my own self, I was helping to restore the space that would become my first coffee shop. That's where the name Restoration Coffee comes from. That little dream evolved into another, larger location in East Bridgewater, one that has exceeded any wild ideas that I could come up with two years ago. I will forever hold that little corner in my heart. I'm sad to leave the spot, but excited for the next chapter. I've created more dreams and visions for Restoration Coffee and I can't wait to share them with you. Thank you for continuing to be part of this dream. We love our community and we are honored to serve you." - Matt Wood.

The Whitman community loves you back and are excited to still drink Restoration Coffee in East Bridgewater! For more updates and information on Restoration Coffee click   here .
Council on Aging Looking For Meals on Wheels Volunteers

Call 781-447-7619 for more information.

Since its inception, your BuzzAround has built bridges across divides: our focus on the goodness of all humanity. We bridge generational, religious and social divides. Diversity and inclusion within each community are the building blocks of our message as we share stories and events that show, time and again, that empathy and compassion are core to the human experience. In sharing these stories, we can truly see our neighbors, appreciate our similarities and understand where and why we differ.  
Thankfully, our U.S. Constitution allows for freedoms so that we can express ourselves and make the changes necessary to build a fair and just society. We believe our way of life is dependent on all people being served equal justice. It has been proven clear that our criminal justice system is not color blind. There is systemic racism built into the fabric of our institutions at every level, disadvantaging and discriminating against people of color in ways that go beyond individual intent to discriminate, and so we need to educate ourselves and change our systems.

What we are seeing is the public expression of pain and outrage. It is good that Black people know that they are worthy. It is good that we live in a society that allows for freedom of speech and assembly. It is good that people of all colors educate themselves, stand together and have empathy. 
The majority desire to protest peacefully to draw attention, educate, motivate change, stand together and act from a place of power and love. Also, saying Black lives matter is not in opposition to the importance of lives of our law enforcement personnel. BuzzAround promotes & supports goodness in all humanity. While the narrative of violence and destruction is dominating media coverage, in your BuzzAround, you will continue to see good news, including the efforts communities are making toward positive change and the stories of people of all colors, ages, interests and religions doing good. 

If you would like to provide access to education and basic needs to those hardest effected: please contribute to Brockton Library Foundation & United Way Brockton Together Fund. If you would like to support legal reforms NAACP Legal Defense Fund
We have mulch, stone, loam, feed & grain and we're open for many other essential items for your home and garden!
Please call with your order and drive up.

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

Food 4 Vets Food Distribution

Wed, June 17th
10a – 12p
COA / The Center at Sachem Rock
355 Plymouth St., EB

The Massachusetts Military Support Foundation is proud to partner with the Cape Cod Military Support Foundation, Big Nick’s Ride for the Fallen, and local Veteran and Military Family supporters as we provide 14 Day Meal Kits for East Bridgewater area Veterans and Military Families in need.

Each Meal Kit contains non-perishable food items that will provide two weeks worth of healthy meals.

For additional information please visit  www.massmilitarysupportfoundation.org.

1. Pre-Registration is required and can be done easily by clicking  f ood4vets form
2. Arrive in Parking Lot at the COA 355 Plymouth St EB
3. Stay INSIDE vehicle
4. Open Trunk
5. 14 Day Meal Kit will be placed inside trunk by a Volunteer with PPE
6. Drive away

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND SACRIFICE!
To find out about the event go here:  Facebook event page.
Whitman Hanson Community Access Has GoPro's to Rent!
Starting June 15th, Whitman Hanson Community Access will have three GoPro 8's ready to be signed out. With the warm weather already here, it's the perfect time to get some cool outdoor shots and submit your content to them.
Key Features:
  • Hyper-smooth shooting
  • 4k
  • Slo-Mo
  • Touch Screen
  • Built-In Audio
  • Submergible (up to 33 feet)

Want more info? Email  info@whca.tv
The Corona Diaries - Submissions Open
The Whitman Public Library would like to ask you to take a few minutes out of your day here and there to write down your thoughts about this time, to take photographs of things you found interesting on your walk or in your home, or to write a poem. They are calling this proposed collection of memories The Corona Diaries, and they hope you will join them in assembling something they can share with you when they reopen. They look forward to seeing your submissions.

Please send all submissions, text or photos, to Barbarab@ocln.org.
Whitman Youth Soccer Fall 2020 Registration
Registration is now open until June 30th, and they're hopeful that everyone will be able to play. If you have players in Pre-K - 9th grade please click  here.
If you'd like to coach, you can also register for that as well. They'll send you information on how to complete the CORI process and Concussion Training, as all Board Members, coaches, and assistant coaches must do this.
Also, their next virtual meeting will be on Wednesday, June 17th at 7:30. In addition to updates and voting on proposed bylaw changes, they will be electing Board members for the 2020-2021 season.
Story credit :  www.WhitmanYouthSoccer.com

If you're interested in a seat on the Board, please contact Helen Lannone by  email.
#KYLERSTRONG Update
At age 3, Lisa Cooney's son Kyler was diagnosed with cancer . Lisa is happy to announce that after labs and a check up at the oncology clinic last week that everything was perfect!!!

He's a happy, healthy 7 year old! He's come such a long way.
Lisa will never forget the love and support from the town of Whitman through all of this.

Photo credit: Lisa Cooney
PINCHES AND POUNDS

  We take phone & online orders
for your convenience!


Open everyday
12 - 5p

Order online and get a free gift certificate for a future purchase! Receive $10 gift certificate for a future purchase when you spend $50 or more online.

785 Bedford St, Rt 18
Whitman
(781) 447-2639

Online orders!

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
Whitman characters
Characters Walk Down Temple Street
Rare sighting of random characters seen walking the streets of Whitman on June 1st. Jessie Nelson said her husband heard honking outside and this made both of them laugh and smile. They wanted to thank whoever was brightening their day! More people were hoping they'd come walk down their street as well.

If anyone has any information of who these people were and if they were willing to cheer more Whitman people up, please post it on Whitman Connect Facebook. A lot of people were wondering!
Photo credit: Laura Smith Magnussen
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


Historical Tidbit Question:
What well known chocolate chip brand did Ruth Graves Wakefield use in her cookies?


Email us your answer at: 

Please include your name, phone number with your answer.

By entering, you give us permission to print your name in next week's Buzz Around.

On June 17, 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, Sasha Rockwell, Jacquelyn Rose, Kayla Rose & Gregory Venezia
This year has been very challenging for all of us humans. We like familiarity & comfort. We have had to learn so many new ways of relating to our world: get educated,grow, change... get educated, grow, change, live together in community.

Here it is time to educate and change again: With that in mind, I watched this video (which really breaks down the white experience in an easily understandable way), reflected, and put together my personal statement.

"I am white. It took me a long time to understand that this is more than ' bad people' doing 'bad things' because I was raised with white privilege. Now I see race. I try not to be color blind because that diminishes the experiences of others. Everyone has different experiences walking through this world. 

That’s my beginning, as I dive deeper into my own background I embrace my Portuguese heritage and how immigrants continue to be labeled as trouble and stupid. I embrace my Catholic heritage and know from the first colonies through 1940’s and beyond anti-Catholicism is deeply rooted in American culture. Because of this it's easier for me to empathize, and know we, as a country, have a lot to fix.

Since the beginning of our country we have created a justice (and housing and educational) system which harasses and intimidates and creates barriers to success for people of color. 
My first step was to educate myself, and so I share this 20 min video. It is super helpful and understandable.
~ Jacquie
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