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February 12, 2023 ~
Building Community One Positive Story at a Time.
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Brockton Area NAACP Celebrates
Black History Month Through Performance!
This past Saturday, the Brockton Area Branch NAACP’s celebration of Black History Month, at the Main Library, was a massive success! Mayor Robert Sullivan and Chief of Staff Sydné Marrow were proudly in attendance, among other community members who supported the event at the Senator Thomas P. Kennedy Main Library to honor Black History Month. The event paid homage to influential Black Americans and leaders through a performative demonstration.
A special thank you to Ms. Phyllis Ellis, President of NAACP, and to all of the wonderful actors who portrayed the historical figures, they were: Leona Martin as Harriet Tubman; Phyllis Ellis as Sojourner Truth; Apostle Edward Campbell as Frederick Douglass; Courtney Henderson as Rosa Par; LaTwanda Merricks as Shirley Chisholm; Jamal Brathwaite as Thurgood Marshall; Tony Branch as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr; Rahsaan Hall as Malcolm X; Miles Jackson as Garrett Morgan; Robert Jenkins as President Barack Obama; and Sydne Marrow as Vice President Kamala Harris.
Story credit: Sean Fitzgerald
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Historical Tidbit:
The Great Blizzard of '78
Monday- Wednesday
February 6- 8, 1978
February 6th, 1978, was a time of primitive satellite
technology, and meteorologists did not have the tools they have today. Often their educated guess was pretty far off. On February 6, New Englanders were still sore about the January 21st forecaster prediction of only rain, which blanketed 21 inches of snow in Massachusetts and downed a record number of power lines in Rhode Island.
So when forecasters began predicting another big storm, people went to work and school and about their lives. The Blizzard of '78 originally formed as a weak, extra-tropical cyclone off the coast of South Carolina. But soon it ran into an arctic cold front moving across the Appalachians. When it combined with unusually strong high pressure over central Canada and very cold air, the mix created the blizzard. It stayed for 36 hours.
A few snowflakes started at 10a, by 1p there was a white-out. In some places 2 inches per hour stacked up. This caught many unaware and unprepared. The statistics were staggering: 27.1 inches of snow in Boston (40 inches in parts of Rhode Island), 99 deaths, 4,500 injuries, 350 federal troops, $520 million dollars in damages, and 3,000 cars and 500 trucks abandoned on just an 8-mile stretch of 128.
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Rt 128 was at a standstill. Before cell phones, people chose to either go out in 70-mile/hour winds, or stay in their car. Some who stayed in their car did not realize their tailpipes were covered & died of asphyxiation.
People were also stranded in the strangest places waiting it out; movie theaters, churches, the Boston Garden. The clean-up took the help of the National Guard, a declaration of a State of Emergency, and many exhaustive hours. Schools were closed for at least a week, sometimes more. Coastal towns were hit the hardest, losing people and whole structures to the raging sea.
As Mike Barnicle wrote in the Boston Globe: "Storms build a sense of community and sharing related directly to the number of inches on the ground. Two inches and people still snarl at each other, two feet and all men are brothers."
Written by J. Rose
Don Kent image: WBZ
Stranded cars image Boston Globe Archives
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Submit to the City's Events Calendar:
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City Hall
45 School St 508-580-7123
Check the city website for important updates
Brockton Public Library
Main Library - 304 Main St. 508-580-7890
East Branch - 54 Kingman St. 508-580-7892
West Branch - 540 Forest Ave. 508-580-7894
Council on Aging
10 Father Kenney Way 508-580-7811
There are 14 food pantries in Brockton.
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Congratulations!
Diane Ribeiro
You won a $25 gift certificate to Johnny Macaroni's Restaurant, East Bridgewater & Halifax
Bee sure to play our Historical Tidbit Trivia Game at the bottom of this newsletter.
Enter for this week's prize of
45 minute Reiki Treatment with
Jacquelyn Rose
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Brockton Public Library Presenting Performance from Jazz Artist
Abe Ovadia
Saturday, February 11th
3p
Brockton Public Library is once again pleased to welcome Abe Ovadia for another concert on Saturday, February 11th at 3p. The concert will be performed over Zoom, and you can register by clicking here. Abe Ovadia is a renowned jazz virtuoso, and guitarist. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Berklee College of Music and a master’s from New York University’s highly acclaimed jazz performance program, and he is the recipient of the Best Guitarist of 2016 Award from Hot House Jazz Magazine.
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Massasoit Community College Buckley Performing Arts Center Presenting Love Letters by A.R. Gurney
Wednesday, February 15th
11a
The Brockton Council of Aging is presenting the performance of Love Letters by A.R. Gurney on Tuesday, February 15th. The performance will begin at 11a and will be held at Massasoit Community College’s Buckley Performing Arts Center. Tickets will be $10 per person and can be purchased at the front desk at the Brockton Council of Aging.
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Brockton Adult Learning Center Holding an Open House & Clothing Drive!
Wed, February 15th
3 - 5p
365 Westgate Dr
(door #1 in the back0
Donate some clothes for Brockton Public School Families & grab an afternoon snack!
The Brockton Adult Learning Center is hosting this Open House and Clothing Drive in honor of the new multilingual parent communication center! All are encouraged to attend and learn about the services they offer. Clothing donations that are clean, and without holes or stains are greatly appreciated.
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Brockton Public Library Holding Poetry Series: Everyone Has a Voice
Saturday, February 18th
2p
Coming up on Saturday, February 18th, the Brockton Public Library is hosting a poetry day! The event will be live and in person at Brockton Public Library (304 Main Street) at 2p and will feature local poets such as Nicole Rocci and Sam Libby. There will also be an open mic.
For more information, contact Jonathan Stroud at jstroud@cobma.us or 508-894-1423 |
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African American Association of Brockton Presents A 90's Black History Month Skate
Saturday, February 25th
7 - 10p
The African American Association of Brockton is celebrating Black History Month with a 90's themed skate night! The event is open to all adults, 18+, and will be held at the Carousel Family Fun Center, 1055 Auburn Street in Whitman. Admission to the event will be $10, and a waiver must be signed by clicking here.
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Seventeen Artists from Brockton High School Receive 19 Awards at the 2023 Massachusetts Region Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
The Massachusetts Region Scholastic Art and Writing Awards received a total of 7,363 entries into the program this year, and the judges recognized and chose seventeen Brockton High School students to receive awards. The Scholastic Art Awards are a demonstration of student’s skills various ways such as photography, drawing and illustration, digital art, sculpture, painting, printmaking, and fashion.
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Find YOUR Bliss with
BLISS THROUGH YOGA!
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New Classes Forming.
Register Today!
Svaroopa yoga excels at releasing the deep tension in your body. While the benefits of this style of yoga are profound, it is very easy to do. We use the alignment of the body, rather than a lot of effort, along with blankets for propping to make the poses accessible, supportive and effective.
516 N. Bedford St, East Bridgewater
(508) 331-3564
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Join us at Fuller Craft Museum! We specialize in basic studio classes like throwing pottery on a wheel, and offer unique classes like fabric marbling and cyanotypes that you won't find just anywhere.
455 Oak Street, Brockton
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Brockton Council of Aging Upcoming FREE COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics!
The Brockton Council of Aging is hosting upcoming, free, COVID-19 vaccine clinics.
Wednesday, February 22nd,
Monday, February 27th.
All of the clinics will be hosted at the Brockton Council of Aging, and will take place between the hours of 1 - 3:30p.
For any additional information, call (508)-580-7811 or email coa@cobma.us
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Katie Ruggieri Named Dean of Science & Math at Massasoit Community College
Massasoit Community College has announced that Katie Ruggieri, Ph. D has been appointed dean of the College’s Science & Math Division. Dr. Ruggieri oversees four academic departments, Biology, Mathematics, Physical Science, and Veterinary Technology- and a slate of respected full-time and adjunct faculty and staff. Dr. Ruggieri, a resident of North Providence, RI, earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Smith College in Northampton, MA and her doctorate degree in anatomy and cell biology from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Providence VA Medical Center and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Rhode Island.
As the College embarks on its $41 million Transformation Through Renovation project to renovate its STEM and Allied Health classrooms and labs at the Brockton campus, Dr. Ruggieri will play a vital role to ensure that academic spaces will meet the needs of students and faculty for years to come.
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Lenten Lunch Hosts Charity Guild Executive Director
Friday, February 24
Doors opening at 11:30a
First Evangelical Lutheran Church
900 Main St
The Lenten Luncheon guest for week one of this series will be Ms. Laura Streise, Executive Director of the non-profit Charity Guild.
The Guild is located at the intersection of Dover Street and Main Street in Brockton. We will
learn about how the organization handles a growing food bank and a long time thrift
shop.
Join us for a home cooked meal and lovely dessert served while you listen. A donation is suggested but not required. For more
information on this program and the one hundred year old church contact Anne at 774-
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Climate Can-Do:
Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles are a more sustainable way for people to get to where they are going. These vehicles offer less maintenance and repairs, less expensive when it comes to fueling, and most importantly cause less pollution.
In Massachusetts the Zero Emissions Vehicle commission ,or ZEV, was established in 2015 and is working to help support the zero emission vehicle adoption in Massachusetts. Their overall goal is to promote zero emission vehicles, also known as ZEV’s. These vehicles include fuel cell, plug in, or battery electric cars, buses, and vans.
When it comes to making more charging stations for electric vehicles, companies like Chargepoint are offering funding in order to install more of them. This would help make it more accessible for those who want this sustainable transportation. It would make it easier to charge their cars with more available charging stations in Massachusetts.
If you want to find out more about ZEV commission or would like to see more about the funding going into electric vehicle charging stations, read the links provided.
Resources:
This Climate Can-Do Article was written by intern Maeve Stowe of Bridgewater State University. We focus on actions which will help mitigate the environmental changes of our climate emergency. Our goal is to keep our climate's temperature from rising 1.5˚ C to lessen the impact on our environment. We can do!
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Brockton Garden Club Hosting Basics of Bone Marrow Soup Class
Monday, February 27th
6:30p
The Brockton Garden Club is hosting a class on the basics of Bone Marrow Soup, on
Monday, February 27 with doors opening at 6:30p. This event is open to the public and free to all and will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 439 West Street with plenty or parking and handicap accessibility in the rear. Join us and start the New Year off with a healthy and tasty project.
For more information, please contact
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Fusion Dolls
Doll & Toy Store in WestGate Mall
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Looking for that Special Gift?
Stop by Fusion Dolls in Westgate Mall.
Locally owned & created!
Inside WestGate Mall
across from Kay jewelers
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Lady CJ Soulfood Cafe
& Catering
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Our Customers Say: "Smokiest BBQ Ribs I've ever had... Can't wait to go back again!!! ~ Geoff Diehl
Cafe: BAT Terminal
10 Commercial Street
& delivery through door dash
(508) 423-9273
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Brockton School Committee Facilities Usage & Planning Subcommittee Meeting 2-7-23 |
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Brockton Cultural Affairs and Tourism Meeting 1-12-23 |
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2nd Annual Chocolate, Cheese & Wine:
Celebrating Brockton Women Owned Businesses
What an amazing evening!
Great job, NeighborWorks Housing Solutions and Brockton Redevelopment Authority.
Congratulations to Yleida Silva, the owner of Magic Touch Salon. Yleida was nominated by over 50 people, as Brockton Women Owned Business of the Year 2022. Yleida was recognized, with the most votes, by her community of clients and supporters. Here is a brief overview and acknowledgement from the evening's event:
Magic Touch Salon is a hair salon where they provide different types of hairstyles, braids, cut, color, extensions and makeup for women, men and children.
"Yleida has going out and about to improve herself as a business owner and her business. He has set the bar high for the beauty industry in the City of Brockton by providing a very professional customer service and high quality work. Yleida is an immigrant from Cabo Verde who despite so many obstacles has been determined to succeed by investing in learning, connecting, and investing. She is committed to her clients, her employees, and her community. Yleida is a resilient business owner who managed to stay open despite the pandemic impact. She actually used it as an opportunity to learn more and get the assistance need to make her business a better business after not being able to qualify to the many grant programs available for business recovery. She is an inspiration to other women who have many reasons to give up."
Mary Waldron, our evening moderator, interviewed panelists Victoria Downes, Sandra Martin and Widline Pyrame at Pyramid Bar, Restaurant and Function Hall Also honorable mentions were given to Karen Wellington: Royalty Plant-Based Cleaning Company, Linda Delacth: Linda Decor & Events, and Francine Victoria: Rivers of Hope
Videos Courtesy J Rose
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WEEKLY TRIVIA GAME
Have fun with us and bee entered to win :
45 minute Reiki Treatment with
Jacquelyn Rose
Historical Tidbit Question:
How fast were the winds during the Blizzard of '78?
Email us your answer at:
Please include your name and phone number with your answer.
By entering, you give us permission to print your name in next week's Buzz Around.
On February 15, 2023, before 2p, we will randomly pick a winner from the correct answers.
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The Buzz Around is brought to you this week by: Sean Fitzgerald, Jen Bellody, Mohamed (Moe) Ibrahim, Janice O'Brien, Jacquelyn Rose, & Greg Venezia. |
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Unite.
“Someday, I hope that we will all be patriots of our planet and not just of our respective nations.”
~ Zoe Weil
"We need to eliminate the concept of division by class, skills, race, income, religion, and nationality. Every human requires food and water to survive and every human has a heart that bleeds, loves, and grieves.” ~ Suzy Kassem
“Take a look at the plants. They come together and thrive peacefully in the garden or park. They lean on each other without trying to outdo one another. They serve as a sign that we can see beyond our differences and embrace each other in love while allowing our uniqueness to add color to our world. If plants can live in harmony and show their beauty to the world, we as humans can do much more.”
~ Kemi Sogunle
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"We will find another way,
to liberate children of this world.
I can hear their voices cry,
all of our children bound in chains
Everyone, we must unite
Politically and economically ..." ~ Playing for Change
I pray for the day we realize we are all humans, and we need each other. Have a lovely week. ~ Jacquie
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Your BuzzAround supports the dignity of all human beings, is actively anti-racist, and supportive of good law enforcement policies. |
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Copyright 2023 Buzz Around Brockton. 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 Brockton 2/12/23")
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.
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