Recreation Department's Summer Program

Bridgewater Recreation's Summer Recreation Program is underway! Despite a soggy Monday, there was a good turn out of kids looking to have some fun. The program is offered Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM at Legion Field. The cost is $15 per day and the program is open to children ages 5 - 12.

The program will run through Friday, August 21st.

There is still room for kids looking for some summer fun. The program offers sports, crafts, games, and special activities on site as well as field trips to a variety of other locations. Registration forms are available at the Bridgewater Library, Town Hall, the Recreation Office, and at the program. Don't' let summer pass you by - come join the fun!

4th of July Concession Stand

First Parish Unitarian-Universalist Church will hold their annual 4th of July concession stand and book sale in conjunction with the Bridgewater Parade and Festival. Offerings include hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, sausages with pepper and onions, vegetarian wrap sandwiches, drinks, baked goods, homemade lemonade and strawberry shortcake.

10% of the proceeds will be donated to local charities. Please visit First Parish Unitarian-Universalist Church on July 4th, 10 AM to 2 PM, one block off the parade route at 50 School Street, across from the quadrange at Bridgewater State College.

Thanks to Kieran Chapman Design for ATC New Look

Bridgewater resident Kieran Chapman has done a simply amazing job designing a new look for Around the Common. Chapman is the owner/operator of Kieran Chapman Design and has created a remarkable portfolio of sensational web design.

Please click here for more information about Kieran Chapman Design.

Thanks to Kieran for all his hard work on our new look. We think you will agree that it looks great!

New Library Hours

Effective July 1st, the Bridgewater Public Library will be open the following hours:

Tuesday: 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Life & Memory of Kevin Preach to be Honored by Bridgewater Gladiators

The Bridgewater Gladiators, a new semi-pro football team in Bridgewater, will kick off their season on July 11, 2009 with a special memorial event honoring the sacrifice of Lance Corporal Kevin Preach. Preach, a Bridgewater native, was killed in the line of duty while serving in the Marines in Afghanistan. The Gladiators will honor his memory with a special ceremony at half-time.

For more information about the event, please click here to read a great article about the event.

Town Meetings to be held on Monday night

A Special Town Meeting at 7:00 PM will be followed by a continuation of the recessed Annual Town Meeting at 7:30 PM at the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School Auditorium located at 415 Center Street.

For a copy of the Special Town Meeting warrant, please click here.

For a copy of the Annual Town Meeting warrant, please click here.

Pizza Fest Winners Announced

The Friends of the Bridgewater Public Library want to thank everyone who participated in our 2nd Annual Pizzafest. We had a great group of donations from our local pizza shops, lots of volunteers, and a wonderful display of generosity from hungry library supporters. We also want to apologize to all those who were not able to sample the pizza. The Friends are so pleased by all the support we were shown for the event. But sadly, we ran out of pizza and had to turn some people away! We are all excited for next year, and we promise more pizza vendors, with more pizza and more room for everyone!

The winners are:

Best Cheese Pizza:
1st Place Campus Pizza
2nd Place Bogart's Pub and Pizza
3rd Place Baldie's Pizza

Best Specialty Pizza
1st Place Bogart's Pub and Pizza (The Caribbean Pizza)
2nd Place Cape Cod Café
3rd Place Lorenco's Pizza

Trophies were awarded to our first place winners, courtesy of Bridgewater Trophy, and certificates are on the way to our 2nd and 3rd place winners. Thank you again for all the support and your understanding.

Sincerely, The Friends of the Bridgewater Public Library

Summer Sale at Central Square Boutique

Don't forget about the teachers! Come into Central Square Boutique and have the kids make a bookmark, bracelet or earrings as a year end gift for their favorite teachers. Or if you are looking to a quick stop-in kind of purchase, pick up the perfect gift for a teacher such as new hats, sun visors, beach pareos and bags. A new shipment of Mad-bags have arrived for the perfect Mother of Pearl handbag!

Is your calendar just full of weddings this summer? Then stop by Central Square Boutique and have custom jewels made to match each and every dress or pick out the perfect wrap to add some color to your outfit.

If you stop in and tell them you saw this post on Around the Common, you will save $5 on a $25 purchase or $10 off a $50 purchase. Go support a great local business today!

Ellie Bassick-Trovato (Owner of Uplifting Connections) to Publish Book

Ellie Bassick-Trovato, owner of Uplifting Connections, has issued the following statement:

I've started working on a book about my experiences with my husband's illness and death. Though the topic is certainly a sad one, the focus is uplifting because his illness and death were such a turning point in our lives - to a point where we embraced and focused on love to the exclusion of fear. Our perspectives about life were forever altered, and I want to share that message with as many people as possible. The book is called "Chasing Nuns" (and, of course, there's a story behind that!), and I've created a website, www.chasingnuns.com for people to sign up on if they'd like to know when the book is released to the public. Hopefully, armed with a mailing list of 10,000 people, I can convince a publishing company to take me on! The book has needed a gestation period of 4 years before I was ready to tell the tale and felt confident that I could handle the sadness of re-living the events to write about them. Please wish me luck!

Please make sure you log into the website and sign up to show your interest in the book!

Friends of the Bridgewater Public Library Membership Drive

The Friends of the Bridgewater Public Library is conducting their annual membership drive which runs through June 30th. The Friends of the Library is an independently incorporated organization whose purpose is to enhance library services.

During the past year the Friends have been instrumental in providing money for books, library supplies and other materials. They paid for a children's program featuring the performer Big Ryan, for bookmarks, a CD rack and for a giant cake to celebrate National Library Week. They also donated to buy equipment for the library's WiFi connection and partnered with the Bridgewater Savings Bank Charitable Trust to purchase eight new computers for public access.

Membership dues are a major source of income for the Friends. Basic dues are $15 with other levels also available. Membership applications are available at the Bridgewater Public Library or by clicking here.

Message from Jean Guarino of the Friends of the Bridgewater Public Library

Today (Sunday, June 14, 2009) was the first time World Wide Knit in Public Day was held in Bridgewater. This day/weekend has been celebrated worldwide since 2005.

Seven people came together to this free event on the porch of the Bridgewater Public Library through their love of fiber--Connie, Ellen, Gail, Nancy, TJ, Allison and Jean. It was cool but it did not rain for the two hours that we shared stories, chatted about places to buy fiber, spread knitting ideas and got to know one another.

Thank you, ladies. It was nice meeting you. Hopefully we can do it again next year.

Relay for Life in Bridgewater

Bridgewater- Every lap counts at the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life of Bridgewater, Lakeville, Middleboro. Join a Relay For Life team and take part in a celebration of cancer survivorship. Local residents are encouraged to join with their community and take steps to raise the vital funds needed to help find a cure for cancer.

The Relay For Life of Bridgewater, Lakeville, Middleboro is currently seeking local residents to serve as team captains and/or team members. Relay For Life teams raise money by gathering sponsors to support their participation in the Relay. Teams of walkers keep a continuous presence on a local school track throughout the overnight event, walking in shifts to raise funds for the American Cancer Society programs. Anyone interested in finding out more about Relay For Life is welcome to attend the meeting.

The Relay For Life Bridgewater, Lakeville, Middleboro is a community event bringing together teams of families, friends, religious groups, neighborhoods, and businesses, all with the goal of celebrating progress in the fight against cancer, remembering those lost to cancer, and helping fund research for the future. Residents from all surrounding towns are also encouraged to attend. The American Cancer Society's annual Relay For Life of Bridgewater, Lakeville, Middleboro is set for June 19-20^th at Bridgewater Raynham Regional High School.

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society's signature activity that takes place in thousands of communities nationwide. This unique, overnight, community event allows individuals from all walks of life to join in the fight against cancer. Funds raised benefit American Cancer Society programs of research, education, advocacy, and local patient services.

For more information about relay For Life, how to volunteer, or for more information about cancer, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or online at www.cancer.org. Bridgewater's local contact is Alicia Fortin and can be emailed by by clicking here.


To donate to a Bridgewater Relay for Life participant, please click here.

Bridgewater 4th of July Message

Hello all of you in the Bridgewater Community - I know some of you must enjoy our wonderful Fireworks display in Bridgewater? Were you planning on attending this year? Well there is a good chance we won't be having them !! The fireworks are not paid for by the town in ANY way - the money is raised through a variety of fundraisers and private donations - well we are VERY short - if we don't have the necessary funds by June 15 -we will be canceling them !! And the real shame is our shortage amounts to about $1.00 per household in town - that is a shame - So if everyone would pull together and send in a donation - maybe we can pull it off !!! Please send you donation TODAY to:

P.O. Box 390
Bridgewater, MA 02324

or visit our website and donate via Paypal. or send me an email and I will gladly pick up - any amount is appreciated !!

Thanks,

Lisa Buzzell-Curley

Mechanics Cooperative Bank has new Bridgewater branch leader

Mechanics Cooperative Bank is pleased to announce that Dianne M. Martin has joined its team as Bridgewater branch manager. Ms. Martin will continue the tradition of providing exceptional banking servies to the Bridgewater community.

"Dianne's enthusiasm and dedication to quality customer service made her the clear choice for our Bridgewater branch," said Deborah A. Grimes, senior vice president of retail banking. "We are certain she will support Mechanics Cooperative Bank's commitment to providing outstanding service to our Bridgewater customers."

"We are confident that Dianne will continue to enhance our customers' experience with the Bank," continued Joseph T. Baptista Jr., president and chief executive officer at Mechanics Cooperative Bank.

Ms. Martin has over 24 years of bank management and customer-service experience. She is a life-long resident of Taunton, where she resides with her husband Paul, and is an advocate for several causes such as breast cancer awareness and animal rights. Dianne is excited to extend her current community and non-profit involvement within the Greater Bridgewater area.

Bridgewater Community Lions Recycle-Rama

The Bridgewater Community Lions will be sponsoring a Recycle-Rama to raise funds for Lions Club Charities.

What: An opportunity to properly recycle electronics and appliances.
When: Saturday, June 13th from 10AM to 2PM
Where: Williams Intermediate School, 200 South Street
Cost: Prices vary. Computer monitor $5, TV $13-19, Microwave $5, VCR $3, Walkman $3, air conditioner $10. For a complete list of prices, click here.

For more information, email Beth Young at youngster123@comcast.net or Rich Piccini at cavcrazy@hotmail.com.

Blood Drive in Bridgewater

There will be a blood drive in memory of Don Delutis on June 14th between 9AM - 2PM held at the Conant Health Center.

To sign up for an appointment call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE. Walk in appointments are welcome.

Don was a longtime resident of Bridgewater. He was a 5th grade teacher, then a principal at the Parish Center and the McElwain School. He also served as chairman of the Bridgewater Little League. In retirement he was elected to the BR school committee for 8 years. Please come and join this great cause.

Senior Day Around the World

The Bridgewater Office of Elder Affairs will celebrate Senior Day Around the World with a party featuring an international flair.

Date: June 11, 2009
Time: 11:30 AM to 3 PM
Location: Bridgewater Senior Center
Cost: $5.00 donation

There will be a luncheon, entertainment and raffles and the event is sure to be a great time. If you have an international outfit, make sure you wear the outfit to show off either your own culture or the culture of another senior across the globe.

Reverse Mortgage Info at Rockland Trust Today

Rockland Trust, located at 233 Broad Street, will be hosting a reverse mortgage focus day today between 10AM and 3PM. For more information about the event, please call Rockland Trust at 508.697.3366.