BuzzAround Raynham

December 8, 2024



~ Building Community One Positive Story at a Time.

A Big Raynham Recognition for

Peter King



At the December 3rd meeting, the Board of Selectmen awarded Raynham's retired Chief of Police Peter King the Raynham Recognition Award.

Chief King was nominated by R.A.V.E because of the children's safety initiatives they worked on together while he was chief and the volunteer time he continues to put in for the Town of Raynham.

A Marine veteran, King was a part of the Raynham Police Department for 34 years; for 30 of those years, he served as chief. King is dedicated to safety within our community.

Members of the Board of Selectmen along with those in attendance expressed their admiration for everything King has done for the Town of Raynham. King remains active as a volunteer town photographer.

Congratulations Chief King; and thank you for your service and continued dedication.  The presentation can be found on The Raynham Channel  

Written by Bethani Jerke, BuzzAround Intern, SNHU

Source and Photo Credit:The Raynham Channel

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 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 had the putty separated into one-ounce balls and placed 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

Town Clerk

508-824-2700

Treasurer/Collector 

508-824-2702

Assessors    508-824-2704

Selectmen        508-824-2707

Building Dept.       508-824-2708

Board of Health      508-824-2766

Planning         508-824-2745

Veterans Service Officer 508-828-4527

Town of Raynham

Public Library

508-823-1344

RaynhamPublicLibrary.org

Council on Aging

508-824-2740

COA

Food Pantry

Raynham Food Basket

2nd and 4th Thursday of the month

9 - 11a

494 Church St, Raynham 774-406-5612

Congratulations!

Densie 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 

The Christmas Tree Garden

785 South Main St

The Stone Church

The Stone Church invites you to experience the magic of its Christmas Tree Garden, illuminated starting December 1st! Dedicate a tree to honor a loved one or celebrate a special life event. The trees will remain lit through early January, and dedication donations are:

• $75 for a 4-ft tree
• $100 for a 5-ft tree
• $125 for a 6-ft tree

To reserve your tree, call and leave a message at 508-822-6177. For more info, visit the Stone Church FB page.

Snowplow Contractors Needed

The Town of Raynham Highway Department is seeking Snowplow Contractors for the snow and ice season beginning November 2024 to April 15, 2025

Interested parties should contact the Highway Department at 508-824-2718.

Detailed contact information can be found at Raynham Highway Department Snow and Ice Removal.

Transfer Station Holiday Hours

Closing Early - 12/24 - 7am-11:15am

Christmas Day - Closed12/25

New Year’s – Closed Early 12/31 - 7 am-11:15 am New Year's Day - Closed 1/1/25

Join the Raynham Lions Club: New Members Wanted!

Raynham Lions Club is looking for new members. Interested persons contact Membership Chairperson Mark Dube at dtdube2@gmail.com,

If you are looking for more information on the history of the club and where to find the new membership application, visit Raynham Lions Club.

Cookie Grams

Sat Dec 14



The Bridgewater-Raynham High School Music Department will be delivering cookie grams. Two dozen home-made holiday cookies will be delivered fresh to the recipient’s door along with a carol or song by the Bridgewater-Raynham High School Music Department. This is a great gift for relatives, neighbors, friends, and businesses. All proceeds benefit the Bridgewater-Raynham High School Music Program. Give a gift that gives back this holiday season.

The Cookie Gram is a $20 donation and includes 2 dozen cookies delivered. Deliveries will be made anywhere in Bridgewater and Raynham on Saturday, December 14th, at a time of your choosing.

Cookie Grams can be ordered on this Google Form: Cookie Grams.

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

Helping Out Santa

This weekend, the Raynham Fire Department escorted Santa around town on Engine 1. Elves from the Police Department helped as they collected toys and donations along the way.

New gifts and donations may be dropped off at the Raynham Fire Station, Raynham Athletic Club, Raynham Flea, Raynham Senior Center, and Personal Best Karate for the Fire Dept Toy Drive before 12/20.

For questions, contact jkarns@raynhamfire.com

New England Vikings Motorcycle Club Presents Donation for Secret Santa At Raynham Fire Department

Last week, the NEW ENGLAND VIKINGS MOTORCYCLE CLUB presented us with their yearly donation for Secret Santa. This officially kicks off the holiday season. We will be accepting new unwrapped gifts and donations until 12/20.

Reposted From: Raynham FD FB

The Taunton River Stewardship Council

The Taunton River is a hidden treasure, rich in history and environmental resources. As one of the most diverse and intact coastal riverine ecosystems in all of southern New England, it provides outstanding wildlife habitat, great scenic beauty, and a multitude of recreational opportunities, from camping and canoeing to snowshoeing and bird-watching.

The Taunton River travels through 10 communities for approximately 40 miles from the confluence of the Town and Matfield Rivers to the confluence of Mt. Hope Bay.

For over two decades, local citizens, planners, conservation groups, and other partners worked to protect the natural and cultural resources of the Taunton River. It is their efforts, through local planning, stewardship, and advocacy, that helped the Taunton achieve federal Wild and Scenic recognition.

In 2009, President Obama signed federal legislation designating the entire mainstem of the Taunton River as a component of the National Wild and Scenic River System to be administered by the National Park Service through a locally-based partnership, the Taunton River Stewardship Council. 

Current Representatives

As a partnership river that runs through ten communities and both public and private land, we rely heavily on the input and cooperation of members of each of these communities. The Council also includes members from state agencies and other non-profit conservation-based organizations. Council Delegates (D) and Alternates (A): Berkley – Joe Callahan (D); Bridgewater – Harry Bailey, Chairperson; Dighton – Bill Frenette (D); Fall River – Priscilla Chapman (D); Freetown – Linda Fournier (D), Rob Kerstiens (A); Halifax – William Hinkley (DER); Middleboro – Patricia Cassady (D); Raynham – Jim Rothwell (D); Somerset – Richard Ashcroft (D); Donna Desrosiers (A), Co-chair/Secretary ; Taunton – Richard Shafer ; Executive Office of Energy And Environmental Affairs (EEA) – Beth Lambert (DER) (D); Doug Cameron (DFG) (A); Dighton Inter-Tribal Council – Roger Desrosiers (D); Donna Desrosiers (A); National Park Service (NPS) – Lauren Bonatakis ; Jamie Fosburgh; Save The Bay (STB) – Kate McPherson; Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development District (SRPEDD) – Danica Belknap (D); Taunton River Watershed Alliance (TRWA) – Gloria Bancroft (D); Bill Napolitano (A); The Natural Resources Trust of Bridgewater (NRTB) – Kitty Doherty; The Nature Conservancy (TNC) – Alison Bowden (D), Marea Gabriel (A); The Wildlands Trust (WLT) – Scott MacFaden 

Information compiled directly from www.tauntonriver.org

Mill River image courtesy of TRWA

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At the Buzz Around, we promote community and family. Your BuzzAround supports the dignity of all human beings, is actively anti-racist, and supportive of good law enforcement policies. 

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