November 24, 2024



~ Building Community One Positive Story at a Time.

Exploring Slavery and Freedom in Bridgewater:

One Book, One Community Presentation

One Book, One Community (OBOC) has been hosting a series of events focused on the topic of slavery and its historical impact. Here is a video of OBOC's presentation by Professors Emily Fields and Jaimie Huff on Slavery and Freedom in Bridgewater.

As part of the One Book, One Community Project, Evelyn DeLutis explains the origin of the nderground Railroad sampler quilt on display through the end of the year at the West Bridgewater Library.

Last Tuesday, Stephen Puleo presented his new biography, The Great Abolitionist: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union, as part of this series at the East Bridgewater Public Library Community Room.

Next in the series, historian Willie Wilson will lead a book discussion of Puleo’s biography at the Bridgewater Senior Center on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at 1 PM.

To learn more visit the One Book One Community Website

Story written by Paris Hugley, BuzzAround Intern, Boston University

Congratulations!

The Bridgewater-Raynham varsity high school game day competition cheer team won first place at the state championships. At the Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA) Fall Championship held at Marlborough High School on November 17, B-R's Game Day Squad competed against 20 other schools, including Bristol-Plymouth VoTec, Leominster High School, and Arlington Catholic High School. It was a challenging team of competitors.

Competitive cheerleading requires much acrobatic dance practice and training. The team's hard work and dedication paid off as they emerged victoriously, coming home with a first-place win. This is the 1st state title for our Varsity BR Game Day Team and the 5th state title for our B-R Varsity Cheerleading Program. Showcasing stellar athletic ability!

Congratulations team! Way to make B-R proud!

Source & Photo credit: Meredith Sclafani Lacerda via messenger, MSAA Fall Game Day Results 2024

Written by Bethani Jerke, Buzz Around Intern, Southern New Hamshire University

Sweat Kneads Bake Truck at 60 Hale St Bridgewater is collecting Toys for Tots and canned goods for veterans!

NEW TOYS ONLY please! 

They will be giving away raffle tickets for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to the truck, 5 winners will be selected! You will receive a raffle ticket for each new toy you donate (limit 5 tickets per visit)

You will also receive a raffle ticket for every 2 canned goods you donate (limit 5 tickets per visit)

Drawing will be on December 20, 2024.

Sweet Kneads Bake Truck FB

Community-wide Thanksgiving Service

Tue, Nov 26

7p

71 Central Square

Bridgewater United Methodist Church, First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, New Jerusalem Church, and St. Thomas Aquinas Church will be co-hosting an interfaith Thanksgiving worship service. Community members of all faiths are welcome to attend.

For more information, call 508-697-6016 or email office@csccucc.com

Source: CSCC FB

Bridgewater Winter Common Lights Project

The Bridgewater Improvement Association lights the Common. The lights are 100% supported with public donations. Thank you to all who have already donated! All donations are tax-deductible.



For more information or to donate, visit the Winter Wonderland Common Lights Collection website.

Source: Carlton Hunt FB Share

Bridgewater Garden Club

Get into the festivity of the season and shop our annual greens sale. We have just what you need to decorate your home for the upcoming holidays: wreaths, arrangements, and more!

Save the date:

Saturday, December 7th at 9am

BTV, 80 Spring St, Bridgewater

Veteran's Day Parade

Video courtesy of BTV, EBCAM

Bridgewater Fire Department Spreads Holiday Cheer

Operation Santa in Bridgewater, organized by the local fire department and supported by schools, businesses, and civic groups, provides holiday gifts to families in need. The initiative collects, sorts, and prepares donations, including toys, clothing, and essential items, at the fire station. It runs annually during the holiday season, with the goal of easing the financial burden on parents and bringing the community together. The program relies on volunteers and donations to ensure children experience the joy of the holiday season while strengthening local connections.

Community members can drop off toys or gift cards at the fire station located at 22 School Street. Additionally, monetary donations are welcome and can be made via checks payable to "Operation Santa," mailed to the same address. Together, we can bring holiday cheer to local families in need. The department appreciates the community's generous support.  

For more information, call 508-697-0900

Bridgewater Business Association Christmas on the Common

Sun, Dec 1

10a-4p

Central Square

The Bridgewater Business Association will be hosting the festive Christmas on the Common. Get into the holiday spirit with music, food, and fun activities. Meet Santa, enjoy hot cocoa, and browse the local vendors for unique gifts. For more info, visit: Bridgewater Business Association

Ousamequin Club Historic Holiday Production

Mon, Dec 2

1:30p

Cole-Yeaton Senior Center

Join the Ousamequin Club for their production of Dolley Madison in the City A History At Play. this is a free program where the club will be hosting collections for the following: 

• Bridgewater Fire Department’s Operation Santa 
• Project PAK (toiletries)
• Bridgewater Food Pantry 
• More than Words (used books) 
• Christmas in July Project

Source: Jean Roberts Guarino FB

April Town Election Poll Survey

The Town Clerk’s office is asking for your opinion about polling hours for local town elections. Please complete the survey and feel free to contact them for any questions.

Please take this 2 question survey:

Current Bridgewater Administrative Code

Chapter 60. Elections

Article I. Hours

Section 1. Annual Town Elections 

"At Annual Town Elections polls shall be open at seven o'clock in the morning and shall remain open until eight o'clock in the evening. At Special Town Elections the polls may be open no earlier than seven o’clock a.m., no later than 12 o'clock noon and may remain open no later than 8 o'clock in the evening." 

As voters become accustomed to early mail-in and voting in-person, the number of voters on the day of election will be smaller. The annual town election usually occurs on the last Saturday of April school break, so many families will need to vote absentee.

The Town Clerk would like to see if there is town support (we would save $2300 by shortening to 10-8).

Shoutout to Bridgewater Square Chiropractic!

Last week, Bridgewater Square Chiropractic held a successful food donation drive, collecting donations from patients to benefit those in need. In exchange for their generosity, participants received a free back adjustment!

For more information about their services, visit BW Square Chiropractic

Old State Farm Trail Project Advances with New Accessibility Features and Community Initiatives

The Old State Farm Trail (OSFT) project team will meet next week with Bridgewater State University (BSU) interns to finalize kiosk materials for the North and South Parking Areas. The South lot will include a trail section designed for the sight impaired along the Taunton River. The interns are also creating a StoryMap application with a QR code library for key trail locations, which could be linked to the town’s website to enhance Bridgewater’s park and trail information. Construction of the parking areas is planned for this fall, supported by two grants. This project is part of the larger Bridging the Bridgewaters initiative, which aims to connect trails in the three Bridgewater towns into the Nunckatessett & Satucket Greenway. 

For volunteer opportunities, contact Kitty Doherty at riverland927@gmail.com

Source: Taunton River Stewardship Council

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

December Exhibition Reception: Arty by Julie

Works by Julie Thorniley

Sat, Dec 7

1p-2:30p

Bridgwater Public Library

The Arty by Julie exhibition by Julie Thorniley will be on display in the Flora T. Little Gallery throughout December. Julie began painting 20 years ago and found her passion for art after attending classes in Boston. Her work is inspired by the beauty of nature.

An artist reception will be held on December 7th from 1:00 to 2:30 PM in the gallery. No registration is required.

For more information, visit Bridgewater Public Library

Planning Board Meeting 11/6/24

Video courtesy of Town of Bridgewater

Rules and Procedures Meeting 11/13/24

Video courtesy of Town of Bridgewater

Bridgewater State University Hosts Student Film Festival

Bridgewater State University is hosting its second annual student film festival, The Bridge, on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at Moakley Auditorium. The free event will include a range of activities such as student film screenings, a Q&A session with filmmakers, and a networking session featuring complimentary hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and beverages. Attendees can also look forward to an industry panel discussion titled The Art of the Pitch and an awards event where the 2nd Annual Bear Award will be presented.

Organized by students and Professor Michelle Meek, the festival celebrates short films from public high school and college students across New England. Categories include narrative live-action, animated, and documentary shorts, each under 10 minutes. The festival's mission is to “spotlight diverse films by student filmmakers in New England and foster connections among film students from public institutions across the region.”

The festival team, made up of students handling promotions, public relations, and event logistics, aims to create an engaging experience that highlights student talent and builds a supportive arts community. Submissions and attendance are both free, making the event accessible to a broad audience.

In addition to the in-person event, free online screenings will be available from December 4-10. 

For more information, visit, The Bridge Student Film Festival

To submit, visit  FilmFreeway 

Story written by Paris Hugley, BuzzAround Intern, Boston University

WEEKLY TRIVIA GAME

Have fun with us and bee entered to win:

a free month of training and a free uniform from Premier Martial Arts, Raynham

Historical Tidbit Question:

What group organizes the National Day of Mourning?

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 November 27, 2024, before 2p, we will randomly pick a winner from the correct answers.

The Buzz Around is brought to you this week by: Paris Hugley, Alexa Pennington, Jamie Puhi, Jacquelyn Rose & Greg Venezia

Your BuzzAround supports the dignity of all human beings, is actively anti-racist, and supportive of good law enforcement policies. 

Turkey image credits: Sue Basile

What am I doing with Thanksgiving?

I no longer say: “What am I doing for Thanksgiving?” It's now: “ What am I doing with Thanksgiving?”

I love Thanksgiving, each year is a celebration, expressing gratitude and having fun with family. My first reaction to hearing about the National Day of Mourning, was to accept it as how “they” acknowledge the day. That was a mistake. That IS the problem. 

When we and our society doesn't recognize the Wampanoags' part in Thanksgiving and the pain they have suffered since; when we publicize only the positive ideals; we are ignoring their suffering, and treating them as if they don't matter in a story where they are essential. 

In 2011 BuzzAround hired our first employee; a Craigslist ad for PT office support brought Marla to us. She had a calm demeanor to balance my extra energy. A wiz at software; what Marla didn’t know, she learned quickly, she was a huge benefit to our BuzzAround Team. Marla had relocated here from Canada, and was a full-blooded Ojibways of Onigaming from Ontario. Marla had courage, how much courage I did not know, but I would learn. 

As we approached Thanksgiving, Marla shared that she would be going to Plymouth to attend the peaceful National Day of Mourning march. Since 1970, Indigenous people and allies have gathered to remember and honor their ancestors at Cole Hill. She shared with me how the European settlers took this land, killed the inhabitants, and tried to erase their culture. To native peoples, Thanksgiving serves as a reminder of the unjust treatment they have received since the 1620 Plymouth landing. Marla would stand in solidarity.

Then she continued to share her own story: In Canada, as well as in the US, residential schools operated to “kill the Indian, save the man.” (Capt. Richard H. Pratt on the Education of Native Americans) In Canada from 1894-1947, an estimated 150,000 native children were forcibly taken from their families and placed into these schools. The schools were funded by the government and run by various church groups. At the school, Marla's parents were forbidden to speak any language other than English, their rituals, their songs and their traditional clothes, forbidden, and the children suffered tourchous treatment.

Beginning in 1819, the United States, like Canada, working with several denominations of the Christian Church, adopted an Indian Boarding School Policy expressly intended to implement cultural genocide. There were more than 523 government-funded, and often church-run, Indian Boarding schools across the U.S. in the 19th and 20th centuries. Indian children were forcibly abducted by government agents, sent to schools hundreds of miles away, and beaten, starved, or otherwise abused when showing signs of native culture in any way.

When living in community, a pain suffered by a part of us, is a pain suffered by all of us. Learning about all parts of American history gives us the opportunity to mourn together and our civilization is stronger as a whole. When we ignore people's pain we are deciding they are not worth acknowledging. 

What will I do with Thanksgiving? Rethink its core: I can have gratitude and family, AND I can relearn American history. Attempt a native dish, learn about native culture. Walk in solidarity in Plymouth. Start somewhere. Start anywhere. 

Sources:  US Dept of Interior Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative

boardingschoolhealing.org

For more about National Day of Mourning. visit www.firstnations.org

In the 1970's The Ojibways of Onigaming were the First Nation that transferred the responsibility of the elementary and later secondary education to their own self-governance structure. Onigaming First Nation School

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 11/24/24")

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.