|
|
|
July 7, 2024
~ Building Community One Positive Story at a Time.
| |
|
Aromatic Bridgewater Fields
Recently the question was posed:"I live in Middleboro just over the Bridgewater line (newish to the area) and my 2nd job is in Braintree so a couple times a week, I drive by this field on my way to 24, where they grow the grass long, and then cut it for sale. But - it smells AMAZING!! It doesn’t even have to be mid cutting for it to smell, it just smells so nice when driving by. What is it? It looks like normal field grass, but whatever it is, I want it in my yard. Lol. I keep thinking it almost smells like cinnamon or nutmeg or something that I can’t quite place. Like hay but way better… I can’t explain it and I probably sound ridiculous, but does anyone know what I’m talking about? I can’t be the only one that smells it when I ride by."
This mystery scent is alfalfa, a plant which is grown year round and used for grazing, hay and silage. The wonderful smell of the alfalfa freshly being cut has Heather and many others rolling down their car windows! Alfalfa is known to have a smell more wonderful than flowers!
Writen by Tiana Frias, BuzzAround Intern
Image Credit: Alfalfa Wikipedia
| |
|
Historical Tidbit:
Cape Cod Canal
| |
Since colonial times, settlers and residents of Massachusetts had dreamed of a canal joining Massachusetts Bay and Buzzards Bay. The Cape Cod Canal follows the course of the former Monument and Scusset Rivers. Only a mile of land separated the two bodies of water. Colonial traders navigated these rivers, walking with their canoes between the two.
The idea of constructing a canal first gained serious traction during the Revolutionary War. Under the direction of General George Washington, a study was commissioned to assess the viability of such a route. Despite a positive recommendation, the study was not acted upon.
The Cape Cod Canal as we know it began to take shape in the early 1900s. Financer August Belmont revived the effort, with construction ceremonially beginning on June 22, 1909. Construction continued until July 29, 1914 when the Canal officially opened. Unlike today, the Canal was privately operated. The Army Corps of Engineers would not take over control of the Canal until 1927.
During the late-1920s and 1930s, the Army Corps drastically improved the Canal, widening it to 480 feet, deepening it to 32 feet deep, and constructing three bridges over the span. Two of the bridges, the Bourne and Sagamore, were motor vehicle bridges, while the third was a railroad bridge. All three still stand today.
Respectfully Submitted,
Daniel Flockton
Information Courtesy Of:
United States Army Corps of Engineers
Image credit: Wikipedia
| |  |
|
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
| |
Congratulations!
Melissa Cram
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
$15 gift certificate to Pinches & Pounds
Candy Store Rt 18, Whitman
www.pinchesandpounds.com
| | |
|
A Whaling Voyage & A Day in the Life of the Lagoda
Wed, Jul 10
6-7:30p
BW Public Library
Join Captain Michael HM Taylor and Nancy Gentile, as they discuss a day in the life on the Lagoda, a nineteenth century whaling ship, whose half-scale replica can now be found at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
This presentation will include exciting descriptions of the vessel, crews, the business, geography, and products; details on New Bedford, Nantucket, arctic whaling, and 20th-century whaling; Sister Sailors, or Whaling Wives; and a baleen and harpoon demonstration There is no registration required and all are welcome.
For more details, please visit the BW Public Library Site.
| |
|
Meet & Draw w/ Ralph Masiello
Tue, Jul 16
1p
BW Public Library
Bridgewater Public Library will host a meet and draw event with children’s book author and illustrator, Ralph Masiello. During this event, kids ages 5-15 will have the opportunity to meet the author and draw with him. This is a fun event for kids interested in art! Ralph Masiello will share tips and techniques, making it an educational experience as well. It's a wonderful chance for young artists to gain inspiration and guidance from a professional.
Registration is required for this event, and can be filled out on the BW Library Eventkeeper.
| |
|
Juneteenth at Bridgewater State University
Video Courtesy of BTV Access Corporation
| |
Bridgewater Music Alley Presents Lainey Dionne & Andrew Geano
Thu, Jul 11
5-8p
839 Scotland Blvd
The Friends of Music Alley are hosting a fun night of music, in collaboration with Black Hat Brew Works. Featured singers for this night will be Lainey Dionne and band, who were under Grammy consideration! Andrew Geano will be opening the night, an accomplished singer and songwriter as well.
This free event is sure to be a fun night supporting great artists!
Source: BW Music Alley FB
| |
Fire for Effect Foundation
Bridgewater Country Fest
Sun, Jul 14
12-6p
80 Spring St
Fire For Effect Foundation, together with Music Alley and Black Hat Brew Works bring you a day of country music at The Launch! The Bridgewater Country Fest is a thrilling in-person event that will rock your boots. Join us as Louie Bello gets the day started followed by Mariah Rose and the very talented Houston Bernard to close out the day.
Grab your friends, put on your dancing boots, and prepare to be blown away by the incredible talent on stage. Don't miss out on this unforgettable day of live music!
Source: FFEF FB
| | | |
Climate Can Do:
Seasonal Food and Farmers Markets
Going to a farmers market is a wonderful activity to do with family, friends, or alone, and it also helps the planet.
Local and Seasonal Food
Farmers markets sell primarily local food. Vendors travel from their farms to the market. Because the food travels a shorter distance from the farm to the consumer, less gas is burned for transportation. Local produce is seasonal— strawberries in late spring and early summer, peaches and watermelon in the middle of summer, grapes and apples in the fall, squashes in the winter. It is fresh, nutrient rich with more taste. Additionally, smaller farmers are more likely to pay their workers a living wage than huge factory farms.
Avoid Monocrop Farming
Smaller farmers are less likely to use monocropping. Planting a single crop over and over again in the same space harms the soil, requires more pesticides, and adds harmful runoff of chemicals to local water supplies.
Accessibility
Farmers markets increase access to fresh, high quality food in lower income communities. Since farmers who sell at the markets typically travel around to different locations in the surrounding area of their farms, they can provide better, healthier food choices for communities that do not have access to them.
Reduced Plastic Waste
Farmers market products are not typically wrapped in plastic, or pre-cut and packaged, as in grocery stores. This reduces plastic waste.
This Climate Can-Do Article was written by Vasilia Yordanova on actions we can do to live more sustainably. We can do it!
Source: news.climate.columbia.edu
| | |
Local Advertising - BuzzAround | |
Bee SEEN Positively!!! With Purchase Receive: Guaranteed ad views w/customized analytic reports for real feed-back!. Assistance with ad design. Plans for every budget. Opportunities to interact with our readers.
Read more
buzzaround.info
| | | | |
|
Unique Strides Therapy
- Speech Therapy
- Parent Training/Education
- One-on-one Tutoring
| |
At Unique Strides, we focus on making strides through effective speech therapy, educational programs and resources while providing an inclusive and nurturing environment for your child.
Learn more on UniqueStridesTherapy.com
Book a Free Consult
| | |
|
Bridgewater Town Council
June 18, 2024
Video Courtesy of BTV Access Corporation
| |
Draw with Jenn Morris
Tue, Jul 23
1p
BW Public Library
BW Public Library is fortunate to have multiple author/illustrators visiting for events, including Jenn Morris. Author of the Flubby Series, Ducks Run Amok and many other easy reads, kids will have the opportunity to not only meet the author, but also learn about her inspirations.
This is another fun drawing event the kids will not want to miss out on! Registration for this event is required, and will open on Tues, July 9, so be sure to sign up!
Source: BW Public Library Site
| | | |
Bridgewater Public Library
Kid’s Safety with Bridgewater Martial Arts
Mon, Jul 15
1-2:30p
Join Bridgewater Martial Arts for a FREE kid's safety program at the library!
Kids will be taught simple and preservable thought processes to avoid abduction and assault. A small hands on portion will be taught at the end with some retainable technique. This program is open to kids ages 5-12.
Instructor, John Hatfield, is a nurse who has spent years submerged in adolescent psychiatric studies as well as operating a martial arts school for over 30 years. Experts from all over the country have been consulted in this simple course and the curriculum is easy to apply and remember.
Registration is required for this event and can be completed on the Bridgewater Public Library Site.
| | |
|
New England Sea Glass History Presentation
Thu, Jul 25
12:30p
BW Senior Center
The Bridgewater Senior Center will be having a New England Sea Glass history presentation on July 25. This presentation will be given by Roxie Zwicker, a fun summer-inspired presentation!
Source: BW COA FB Post
| |
|
Music Alley Weekly Open Mic Night
Every Tuesday
6:30 - 9pm
50 Central Square
Friends of Music Alley and Kim Hill’s Mix N’ Music are hosting an open mic night weekly, with special feature Ilene Springer. Kim Hill will be hosting these events, and sign ups are at 6pm. These weekly open mics are free and open to the public to perform or just enjoy the talents of others!
Source: Bridgewater Music Alley FB Post
| |
From Growing up in Bridgewater to Winning The Pulitzer Prize! | |
|
Bridgewater’s very own Justin Elliot and his team at ProPublica have won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Through their exceptional coverage of the Supreme Court, justices were exposed for accepting gifts from a group of billionaires, resulting in the Court’s first code of conduct.
As a child, Justin was inquisitive and analytical, with a skill for math and strategy games, as well as a love for reading and writing. His parents, Marjorie and Stephen Elliot, encouraged his talents, Justin’s father helping him develop his writing skills.
This strong support system fanned the sparks of Justin’s interests. From talking about politics during dinner, to holding signs for local candidates, Justin was involved in local government and community activities since he was young. “I particularly remember holding signs with a group at the polling place in 1998 when Justin was 13,” Marjorie says, “and [him] holding his own during a discussion about Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.”
Justin continued to pursue his passions throughout his education. In middle school, Justin took part in the Bridgewater Police Academy's mock trials. Occasionally, he also went with his father, a retired defense attorney, to Brockton District Court.
| |
|
At Thayer Academy, Justin joined the Mathletes, the Thayer magazine, and Model UN, where students role-play as delegates. In his junior year, Justin was chosen to become a U.S. Senate Page, a prestigious honor that admitted him to work at the U.S. Senate and attend the Senate’s Page School.
Justin achieved even more success at Brown University, working his way up to become Executive Editor at the Brown Daily Herald as a senior, where he dedicated many hours a week to his work at the paper.
Based on Justin’s strong work ethic and ambitious nature, it is clear why he went on to win this year’s Pulitzer Prize. His mother Marjorie reflects, “Looking back, I do think that being an investigative reporter fits his character. He likes to question things and is not afraid to follow the evidence.”
He has made his hometown of Bridgewater proud. Congratulations to Justin and his family, as well as his team at ProPublica.
Story written by Alexa Pennington
Story & photo source: Marjorie and Stephen Elliot Additional sources: Pulitzer.Org, U.S. Senate Page Program
| |
|
WEEKLY TRIVIA GAME
Have fun with us and bee entered to win:
$15 gift certificate to Pinches & Pounds
Candy Store Rt 18, Whitman
www.pinchesandpounds.com
Historical Tidbit Question:
Along which two former rivers does the Cape Cod Canal follow?
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 July 10, 2024, before 2p, we will randomly pick a winner from the correct answers.
| The Buzz Around is brought to you this week by: Alexa Pennington, Jamie Puhi, Jacquelyn Rose, Tiana Frias, Greg Venezia & Vasilia Yordanova | |
|
Playtime
"Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold.”
~ Joseph Chilton Pearce
“Play keeps us vital and alive. It gives us an enthusiasm for life that is irreplaceable. Without it, life just doesn’t taste good.”
~ Lucia Capocchione
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
~ George Bernard Shaw
“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing.” ~ Charles Schaefer
"Play is the mediator of the invisible and visible." ~ Dora M. Kalff
“Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning.”
~ Diane Ackerman
" It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives." ~ Fred Rogers
| |
I hope you have a playful week.
~ Jacquie
| | | |
Your BuzzAround supports the dignity of all human beings, is actively anti-racist, and supportive of good law enforcement policies. | |
|
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 7/7/24")
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.
| | | | |
