Democratic Caucus

The Bridgewater Democratic Caucus will be held on Saturday January 31st at 10 am in the Academy Building. The caucus is open to all registered democrats in Bridgewater. Please arrive early as the doors will close promptly at 10 a.m.

Bridgewater Little League Senior Division

Bridgewater Little League will be holding sign ups for the Senior Division on Saturday, January 31st from 9:00 a.m. to NOON at the Rec. Building on Cottage Street. The fees are as follows: (two separate checks or cash)

$100.00 made payable to Bridgewater Little League
$25.00 made payable to Bridgewater Recreation Dept.

We will also be accepting late registrations for the 6, 7, 8 year olds and the Minor League division.

Guest Lecture Program at Bridgewater State College

Date: Saturday, January 31st
Time: 8-9 AM
Location: Maxwell Library at Bridgewater State College

Jessica Harney-Griffin of Hallmark Health Systems, Inc. will be discussing the White Mountain Adaptive Snow Sports School. This event is free and is open to the public.

Asian Lunar Celebration

There will be an Asian Lunar Celebration from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday at Bridgewater State College in the large ballroom of the Rondileau Campus Center. Entertainment will include traditional musical performers, martial arts and dance demonstrations, and a slide show. Event is free and open to the public. Anyone interested in attending should call 508-531-6166.

Planning Board Meeting Tonight

The Planning Board will be continuing the public hearing this evening at 7:15 p.m. on the application by Matt Falconeiri for a definitive subdivision entitled "Aldrich Place" which is a 5 lot, duplex homes,subdivision located behind the St. Thomas cemetery off Aldrich Road.

The meeting will be held in the meeting room of the Academy Building.

Open House at America's Little Angels

America's Little Angels Preschool will host an open house for their Bridgewater location on January 26th from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. America's Little Angels Preschool is located at 340 Pleasant Street at the Faith Chapel in Bridgewater.

Enrollments for September 2009 can be made at this time.

America's Little Angels is also conducting several service projects. The school is collecting can tabs, extra keys and Shaw's receipts and is also collecting items for our troops such as deodorant, shampoo, calling cards and toothpaste. You can drop these items off at the school by arranging a time by calling 508.279.0111.

Veterans & Widow Benefits Information Session

Date: Tuesday, February 10th
Time: 12:30 PM
Location: Bridgewater Senior Center at 10 Wally Kreuger Way

Representatives from the State Dept. of Veterans Services and local Veterans Services Officers will be addressing veterans, widows and others. This is a free information session and all benefits available from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs and the Mass. Department of Veterans Services will be discussed. If you would like to make a reservation for the lunch and information session, please call 508.697.0929 by February 5th.

Mechanics Cooperative Bank Joins Around the Common

Around the Common would like to welcome our newest Bridgewater business listing: Mechanics Cooperative Bank.

Located at 72 Main Street in Bridgewater, Mechanics Cooperative Bank is a full service bank offering both personal and business accounts, mortgages, auto loans and more.

Some other services include:

• 24-Hour ATM (CIRRUS© NYCE©)

• Internet Banking with Bill Payment

• Electronic Fund Transfers

• Scheduled Transfers (Deposits and Payments)

• Night Depository

• Notary Services

• Treasurer's Checks

• Money Orders

• U.S. Savings Bonds

• Merchant Services

• Federal Tax Deposits

• Credit Card Cash Advances

• American Express Travelers Cheques

Make sure you stop by Mechanics Cooperative Bank and consider them for all your banking needs. Tell them you saw them on Around the Common!

Bridgewater-Raynham Kindergarten Survey

The Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District is studying the feasibility of full day kindergarten and is asking residents to complete a brief survey on the subject.

Please click here to access and complete the survey.

Joyful Learning & Southbrook Academy Open House

An open house will be held at Joyful Learning Preschool and Southbrook Academy on Thursday, January 22nd from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM.

Southbrook Academy is a private elementary school for grades K-6 and has full day kindergarten. Joyful Learning offers preschool and pre-kindergarten classes for two, three and five day programs.

Registrations for the 2009-2010 year will be accepted at this time. For more information, please call 508.697.9131.

MLK, Jr. Celebration Breakfast

Bridgewater State College is sponsoring a Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration breakfast at 8:30 a.m. on Monday January 19, 2009. The breakfast will be held at the Flynn Dining Commons and the cost is $7.50. For reservations, call 508-531-2388.

Bridgewater Academy Lions Wine Tasting Fundraiser

The Bridgewater Academy Lions Club invites you to attend an After-the-Holidays Wine-Tasting Event at Wine Palace in West Bridgewater on Tuesday, February 3, 2009 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The Wine Palace store is located at 793 West Centre St. (Rte. 106).

This special ticket event to benefit Bridgewater Academy Lions Club charities will include a program of 15 delicious wines to sample, plus assorted appetizers to complement them. Guests may participate in several fundraising raffles. In addition, a door prize donated by Wine Palace will be awarded to one lucky guest.

Here is an excellent opportunity to greet friends and support charity while tasting a wide variety of good wines you might not otherwise know. Event tickets are available now at $10.00 per person (minimum age 21). For tickets and more information, call or e-mail Lion Bev at 508-208-9349 benjy30@aol.com or Lion Anne at 508-807-1066 afagan1066@comcast.net.

Town Candidates Take Out Nomination Papers

The election cycle is about to kick into high gear! Interested in learning who is currently running for office?

Click here to access the list of candidates that have taken out papers to date.

Library Board of Trustees Meeting

The Bridgewater Board of Library Trustees will meet on Tuesday, January 20th at 7:00 PM at the Bridgewater Public Library. This meeting is open to the public.

For more information, please call 508.697.3331.

Bridgewater Little League Meeting on Sunday

The Bridgewater Little League will hold a general meeting this Sunday at 7PM at the Veterans Club located on Cottage Street. Information including draft dates, opening day, coaches clinics, first aid and CPR classes will be discussed the meeting.

Those that attend the meeting will also vote on the 2009 Board of Directors. All managers, coaches and volunteers are urged to attend.

Selectmen Recognize Former Firefighter

The Board of Selectmen as part of their regular meeting on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 took a moment to recognize Clifford Whitting a former Bridgewater firefighter of more than thirty-four (34) years of service to the Town for his recent act of heroism by helping to save the life of a automobile accident victim.

According to Herb Lemon, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen said, “it is totally appropriate for the Selectmen to recognize the extraordinary bravery and commitment to public safety that Mr. Whiting has demonstrated throughout his career with the Town of Bridgewater and in particular this specific event. Clearly, the residents of Bridgewater are fortunate to have current and former fire fighters among us who are willing to step forward to help others.”

Burning Permits Available

Open air burning is allowed from January 15th to May 1st from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with permission from the Fire Department. The burning of small piles, no leaves, will be allowed when the air is circulating, but winds are light. Fires must be at least 75 feet away from any dwellings. A garden hose must be in close proximity of the fire at all times. There should be no unattended fires and fires should not be a nuisance to neighbors. A fire engine will respond to and investigate all reported calls or complaints regarding open air burning.

For more information call 508-697-0900.

Bridgewater Open Space and Recreation Plan

The Old Colony Planning Council has released their draft of the Bridgewater Open Space and Recreation Plan. A copy of the plan can be obtained at the Old Colony Planning Council's website by clicking here. You will find the report link on the left hand side of the page under the rotating logo.

The Old Colony Planning Council welcomes comments on this draft report and any comments or suggestions can be mailed to Old Colony Planning Council at info@ocpcrpa.org.

Mrs. D's Corner Dedication at Bridgewater Public Library

On January 10th, the public is invited to drop in at the Bridgewater Public Library for a dedication of the new reading corner in the Children's Room. The alcove will be named "Mrs. D's Corner" in honor of Mrs. Joanne Doherty, former head of Children's Services.

A new library-themed couch and upholstered bench have been purchased, thanks to the efforts of students from the George Mitchell Elementary School who participated in a read-a-thon to raise money for the library. A library-themed mural is being planned to decorate the alcove.

Mrs. Doherty will be a special guest at the library that day. Drop-in is from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

Information Session: Continuing and Distance Education at BSC

The Bridgewater State College Office of Continuing and Distance Education will hold an information session for those interested in transferring into the college's evening degree program.

Date: Wednesday, January 7th
Time: 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Location: Moakley Center

For more information, please call 508.531.2788.