West Bridgewater BuzzAround

December 8, 2024



~ Building Community One Positive Story at a Time.

The Season of Giving

The Council on Aging’s Meals on Wheels program provides homebound senior citizens with meals delivered straight to their doors.

And this Thanksgiving, they delivered something extra special. Thanks to financial support from West Bridgewater's Town Moderator Jason Ross and additional contributions from Good Days Restaurant, the dinner preparers, Meals on Wheels provided 29 freshly cooked Thanksgiving meals to WB's homebound residents. Ross expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to contribute: "I hate the idea of seniors, especially ones with mobility issues, not being able to enjoy Thanksgiving..."

If you'd like to get involved or know someone who could benefit from meal deliveries, contact the WB Council on Aging at 508-894-1262 or visit their website here: West Bridgewater Council on Aging.

Written by Bethani Jerke, BuzzAround Intern, SNHU

Sources: WB COA & Jason Ross

Image credits: WB COA FB

Historical Tidbit:

The History of Silly Putty

Since rubber producing countries were attacked in WW II, drastically affecting supply chains, the U.S. government asked American companies to invent a synthetic rubber made with easy to find ingredients.

In 1943, engineer James Wright, while researching a synthetic rubber at General Electric in New Haven, CT., combined boric acid and silicone oil that produced an interesting gob of goo.

Wright conducted a multitude of tests on the substance and discovered it could bounce and stretch farther than regular rubber, didn't collect mold, and had a very high melting temperature. The material wasn't usable as rubber but was entertaining. He passed his "nutty putty" around to family and friends. 

Ruth Fallgatter, owner of a toy store in New Haven, CT. was approached by advertising consultant Peter Hodgson In 1949 with globs of the goo to sell for $2 each. The "bouncing putty" outsold everything else, except for the 50-cent box of Crayola crayons.

Hodgson saw an opportunity, and bought a large quantity of the putty in 1950. He separated the putty into one-ounce balls and placed it inside red plastic eggs. He named the goo "Silly Putty" and sold the eggs for $1 each.

In February,1950, Hodgson took Silly Putty to the International Toy Fair in New York. He convinced both Nieman-Marcus and Doubleday bookstores to stock the putty. 

A few months later, a reporter for The New Yorker stumbled across Silly Putty at a Doubleday bookstore and took home an egg. Fascinated, the writer wrote an article in the "Talk of the Town" section that appeared on August 26, 1950., Orders for Silly Putty started pouring in immediately.

Story credit: J. Rose

Resource: www.thoughtco.com/the-history-of-silly-putty

Town Hall

  508-894-1200

WestBridgewaterMa.org

WB Public Library

508-894-1255

westbpl.org

Council on Aging

508-894-1262

COA

Food Pantry

Proof of residency is the only requirement.

1st & 3rd Wednesday each month

1:45 - 3p & 5:30 - 6p

457 rear, South Main St., Suite #1

508-510-5274  westbridgewaterfoodpantry@gmail.com

Congratulations!

Denise Dragonetti

won

a free 1.5 hour class at

Bliss Through Yoga!

Bee sure to play our Historical Tidbit Trivia Game at the bottom of this newsletter.

Enter for this week's prize of

a $25 gift certificate to Johnny Macaroni's Restaurant, East Bridgewater & Halifax

johnnymacaronis.com 

Big 3 in WB for the Month of November

Featuring upcoming December events

Video Courtesy of WBTV

WB Board of Selectmen Meeting

11/20/2024

Video Courtesy of WBTV

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

Mon, Dec 9 - Fri, Dec 20

6-8p

Our officers will be escorting Ol’ Saint Nick to residences in West Bridgewater starting Monday, 12/9, through Friday, 12/20 (weeknights only), from 6 PM to 8 PM each evening, with 15-minute visits per stop.

We kindly ask for flexibility with date and time requests, as we will be routing stops by neighborhood as efficiently as possible.

To help Santa see as many children as possible, we encourage you to coordinate visits with neighbors, friends, and family.

For larger groups (6 or more children), time slots will need to be scheduled toward the end of the night to help Santa stay on schedule.

We also appreciate your patience and understanding if visits run slightly behind schedule. These nights are VERY busy, and our officers are generously volunteering their time to make these visits possible.

For more information on the event, visit WB Police FB, or if you want to set up your time with Santa, call 508-586-2525 ext.0 with information such as name, address, phone number, and total number of children.

Climate Can Do:

Shop Local



$68 REMAINS HERE

For every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $68 recirculates and remains in our local economy.

Only $43 remains in our community when it’s spent at a national chain.



Local businesses are owned by your friends and neighbors who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in our community’s future — just like you.

Repost courtesy of sustainableconnections.org

WBPL's Winter Open House

Thu, Dec 12

5-7p

80 Howard St

Join the library's Winter Open House this season! The event is packed with activities including:

• Kids Music & Movement Storytime at 5:15p
• Photos with Kyss the Therapy Dog
• Scavenger Hunt
• Hot Chocolate Bar & Cookie Decorating
• Kids Raffle
• Friends of the Library Raffle Basket – Tickets are available now! Contact (508) 894-1255 or email westbpl80@gmail.com for more info on how to get one.

There will also be adult and kids crafts, as well as an exciting 3D printer demonstration! Don't miss this fun-filled evening, no registration is required. For more information about this event and other winter happenings, check out the library's December newsletter here: West Bridgewater Public Library Newsletter.

Breakfast with Santa

Sat, Dec 14

9-11a

Rose L. Macdonald School

1 Steppingstone Drive

The West Bridgewater PTO is excited to host a delightful Breakfast with Santa! Bring the whole family to enjoy a delicious meal, festive activities, and a special visit from Santa himself. 

For more information on the event and when to get tickets, visit WB PTO FB

Bridging the Bridgewaters

NRT is searching for volunteers to work with "Bridging the Bridgewaters," a group of residents in East Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, and Bridgewater working to lengthen and maintain the land and water trails in all three communities, connect them to each other and to the AMC / Bay Circuit Trail, and publicize their existence.

Please contact the Natural Resources Trust of Bridgewater at: Kitty Doherty at riverland927@gmail.com for more information and how you can participate.

Festive Holiday Soups with Therapy Gardens

Wed, Dec 18

6-7p

West Bridgewater Public Library

Join Therapy Gardens for a cozy and festive cooking session where you’ll discover how to make delicious holiday soups. Enjoy sampling the soups and take home the recipes to recreate these warm, seasonal favorites. Perfect for adding a flavorful touch to your holiday celebrations.

For more information on the event and to register, visit WB Public Library Calendar

WB Board of Water Commissioners Mtg

11/18/2024

Video Courtesy of WB Community Access TV

Welcoming Winter Light with a Lantern Walk

Sat, Dec 21

Rain Date Sun, Dec 22

3p

West Bridgewater Town Hall

Join the West Bridgewater Open Space & Recreation Committee for a Winter Solstice Lantern Walk and celebrate the dark sky with the warmth of our light!

Lantern Walks have become a magical tradition across the country, helping kids and adults alike welcome the winter darkness and embrace this natural change with joy.

Activities Include:

• Lantern Crafting: Create your own lanterns with Miss Angie from Angelic Bravery.
• Lantern Walk: Take a stroll along the Rail Trail, singing and enjoying the glow of the Winter Solstice.

This is a free event, but registration is required. Please email openspace@wbridgewater.com to sign up!

Source: West Bridgewater Open Space and Recreation Committee FB

Community Christmas Pageant

Calling all Angels, Shephards & Farm Animals, We've Got a Part for You!



Sun, Dec 22

Rehearsal 12:30p

Pageant & Carol Sing: 3p

Union Congregational Church

105 Pleasant St EB

Union Congregational Church with Jacquelyn Rose and Musical Director Elliot Talley invite the community to a pageant and carol.

Moms & Dads, sign up your 6-12 year old on this form: uccofeb.org/youth

For more information and to participate in the event, Visit: UCCofEB.org or Call: 508-378-2874

West Bridgewater Police, Fire, Public Schools, & PTO presents the Wild Cat's Toy Drive

The West Bridgewater Police Department, West Bridgewater Fire Department, West Bridgewater Public Schools, and the West Bridgewater PTO are partnering up for our annual toy drive to gather toys and gift cards for local West Bridgewater families in need. (Ages of the children range from 5 to 17.) Last year, we assisted approximately 50 West Bridgewater families!

If you would like to donate, please drop a new unwrapped toy or gift card to the police or fire station lobby.

Or if you have a school aged child, please have them bring the item to their school. There will be collection bins at each location. Any questions, contact Sgt. Pope at tpope@wbpd.com or 508-586-2525 ext 5119.

Reposted from: WB Police FB

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