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Lt. Governor Polito signed a Community Compact with local officials from Halifax at Town Hall Sept 15. Compacts are an opportunity for cities and towns to choose their own best practices that they'd like to implement, and in turn, the state provides resources and incentives to help them.



 From the Commonweath website: The Community Compact is a voluntary, mutual agreement entered into between the Baker-Polito Administration and individual cities and towns of the Commonwealth. In a Community Compact, a community will agree to implement at least one best practice that they select from across a variety of areas. The community's chosen best practice(s) will be reviewed between the Commonwealth and the municipality to ensure that the best practice(s) chosen are unique to the municipality and reflect needed areas of improvement. Once approved, the written agreement will be generated and signed by both the municipality and the Commonwealth. The Compact also articulates the commitments the Commonwealth will make on behalf of all communities.

How does a Community Compact work? What is the obligation of my community?
Communities will self-identify the best practice(s) from the list on the Community Compact website. The community's chosen best practice(s) will be reviewed between the Commonwealth and the municipality to ensure that the best practice(s) chosen are unique to the municipality and reflect needed areas of improvement. Once approved, the written agreement will be generated and signed by both the municipality and the Commonwealth. The municipal leader will be required to sign and authorize the Compact for a community. Those communities participating in the Community Compact will, over a two-year period, implement the best practice(s) they selected when entering into the Compact. Resources for technical assistance from the Commonwealth will be prioritized for those communities entered into a Compact and seeking to implement their best practice(s). The Division of Local Services serves as the primary point of entry for communities looking for resources in best practice development and implementation.

What is the obligation of the Commonwealth?

The Commonwealth's commitments are found on the Community Compact website. In addition, the Commonwealth will offer incentives to communities for entering into a Community Compact, including prioritizing Commonwealth technical assistance resources to help reach your chosen best practice(s). Extra points on certain grants, and a grant program specifically for Compact communities, are also incentives included for participation in the program.
www.mass.gov/communitycompactcabinet
October 4, 2015

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Prize Box
 


Congratulations
Diane Ribeiro

Diane won a 16-oz candle from the East Bridgewater Candle Company ($17 value)

You should play
our Historical Tidbit Trivia Game at the bottom of this column.

You could win two tickets to Nessralla Farms Corn Maze
139 Hemlock Lane, Halifax
(up to an $18 value)
Historical Tidbit:  
PART 2
CHASE WILD ANIMAL FARM
(BABOON WITH RUBBER DUCK)
 
          "Some of the animals remained at the farm on display rather than being sold.  One of them was "Hamy," a female hamadryas baboon, who at age 2 still kept a rubber duck she had had since she was a baby.
          "One day," Sturtevant recalled, she "was in her cage when a three-year-old ran up to get a better look.  Hamy loved toddlers and as soon as the little girl ran up to her cage, she started swooning over the child."
          The girl's father noticed what was happening and ran up to grab his daughter.  When Hamy saw him coming, she reached both her arms out of the cage and put them around the child to protect her.  The father got more and more excited but Hamy wouldn't let go.
          "Finally we convinced him Hamy wouldn't hurt his daughter and we were able to get him away from the cage.  As soon as Hamy was assured the child was free from danger, she took her arms from around the girl. However, by that time, the girl and Hamy had gotten to be fast friends and she didn't want to leave Hamy.  It was quite an emotional scene," said Sturtevant.
          Another time, a man went over the rail to get a better look at the three seven-foot ostriches.  Ostriches are birds that love anything shiny, Sturtevant noted.  One of them walked right over to the man, plucked the sunglasses right off his face and gulped them down.
          "To my knowledge," said Sturtevant, "in three years of operation, no visitor was ever injured.  The workers, he noted, had to be a little more careful.
          "Large animals - hippopotamus, rhinoceros, and elephants, all have very poor eyesight," he said. "Around them you have to be slow, steady, continually slapping them to let them know where you are and what you're doing.  After a while, you sometimes forget where you are and make a quick movement.  Then, they would spin around snorting and make right for you. Once I had to jump right over the bars of their cage," he said."
Respectfully submitted, Sue Basile
  
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Upcoming Schedule of Events
Monday, October 5
Love to Walk - 9a - Council on Aging (COA)
Men's Coffee - 9a - COA
Cribbage - 10a - COA
Chair Yoga - 11a - COA
Lunch - noon - COA
Crochet/Knitting - 1p - COA
Joy of Writing - 2p - COA
Tech Savy Class - 2:45p - COA
Zoning Board - 7p - Town Hall
Finance Committee - 7p - Town Hall
Tuesday, October 6
Special State Primary - 7a - Elementary School
Men's Coffee - 9a - COA
SHINE Counsel - 9a - COA
Council on Aging - 10a - COA
Lunch - noon - COA
Line Dance - 2:30p - COA
Wage & Personnel Bd - 6:30p - Town Hall
Conservation Comm - 7p - Town Hall
Historical District Comm - 7:30p - Museum 
Wednesday, October 7

Exercise - 9:30a - COA

Quilting - 10a - COA

Wii Games - 10:30a - COA

Chair Yoga - 11a - COA

Genealogy Club - 1p - Library

Line Dancing - 6:30p - All Seasons

Halifax Reads - Prison Pups - 7p - Library

Board of Health - 7p - Town Hall

Historical Comm - 7p - Museum

Parks, Youth & Recreation - 7:30p - Rec Bldg 

 Thursday, October 8

Men's Coffee - 9a - COA

Oil Painting - 10a - COA

Toddler Story Time - 11a - Library

Lunch - noon - COA

Shopping Van - 12:30p - COA

Pre-K Story Time - 1p - Library 

Friday, October 9

Our Lady of The Lake Church Mass - 9a  

Errand Van - 9a - COA

Infant Lapsit - 10a - Library

Ballroom Dance - 11a - COA

Preschool Story Time - 11:30a - Library

Lunch - noon - COA
Saturday, October 10

Our Lady of The Lake Mass - 4p

 Sunday, October 11
Our Lady of The Lake Church Masses - 7:30a & 10:30a
Halifax Congregational Church Service - 10a  

*Information compiled from the Town & Library Websites, Council on Aging Newsletter, and individual submissions. If you'd like something listed, email us.
Bridgewater farm supply BRIDGEWATER  FARM SUPPLY

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West Monponsett Pond is Unsafe to Use for Recreational Purposes 
Hi Folks,

Jersey barriers will be placed at the Route 58 boat ramp and the Lingan Street/4th Avenue boat ramp in order to prevent easy access to the ramps. This is being done because, despite having signage up indicating that West Monponsett Pond is unsafe to use for recreational purposes (swimming, boating, fishing), many people have continued to use the Ponds. The barriers will be removed if two consecutive weekly samples show algae counts of less than 70,000 per milliliter. The counts this year have been significantly less than last year but still above this limit so the advisory has been in place since the middle of July.

While the Town is putting up barriers at these two locations, there are
other locations for which the Town does not have jurisdiction and there
are a number of residents with docks or other ways of obtaining access
to West Monponsett Pond. The Town will not be patrolling West Monponsett Pond, ticketing or fining anyone, but wanted to discourage residents and non-residents from using the Pond due to health concerns.

East Monponsett Pond will continue to be open for all uses.

If you (or anyone else) has questions, please contact me.

Thanks,

Charlie Seelig
Halifax Town Administrator
781-294-1316



Largest Pumpkin drop in Massachusetts

Oct, 10, 11 & 12 at 2:00 pm each day. 

Come, bring the family and enjoy this free event:

You haven't had fun 'til you've seen this!

www.nessrallafarm.com 

YMCA Fall Family Festival Open House

Monday, October 12th
10 am til 1pm

East Bridgewater YMCA

We will also have a Kids' Mini Mid Run starting at 1pm with pre-registration suggested and free for members who pre-register.

www.oldcolonyymca.org/east-bridgewater 

Richard Cullen Art
Halifax resident Maureen Kingston has placed a collection of her father's artwork on display in the Community Room of the Holmes Public Library through October.
At the age of 43, her late father, Richard Cullen, began his journey into creating art. After beginning with pencil drawing, pastels, and watercolor, he found his medium with oil paint.
Over the course of 40 years, he amassed a collection of hundreds of canvases. A feat made all the more extraordinary by the fact that, as a child of 7, he completely lost the vision of his left eye.
"As a resident of Melvin Village, New Hampshire and, later, of Halifax, Mass., he saw beauty that the rest of us would have overlooked," his daughter writes in her description of the exhibit.
The show may be viewed during regular library hours except when children's programs are in session. Library hours are Mon & Wed, 12-8; Tues, Thurs., Fri., 10-5; Sat. 10-2.
 

ARCHAEOLOGY ON THE NEMASKET RIVER      
CANOE/KAYAK TOUR
  Saturday, October 10, 2015
(Rain date: Sunday, October 11)

Please join us for an informative tour of the scenic and historical Nemasket River. Led by Dr. Curtis Hoffman, Professor of Anthropology at Bridgewater State University and Member of the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Archaeology Society, this tour is not one to miss. Dr. Hoffman will lead the group on a tour of several known Native American sites along the river.

Please join us - enjoy the foliage and learn a lot about the history of this area.

This event is sponsored by the Taunton River Watershed Alliance and the Massachusetts Archaeology Society.

For more information, call 508-828-1101 or register on-line at www.savethetaunton.org
 International Dinner
 Sat, Oct 17
  5:00 pm
 Halifax Congregational Church
 
 
The Halifax Congregational Church will be hosting its second International Dinner on Saturday, Oct 17, beginning at 5:00 pm.  Our first dinner was very well received and is being brought back by popular demand!     
 
You will begin your International trip with a passport book that you will take with you to be stamped at each of the eight countries you visit.  There will be a food station set up for each country where you will enjoy a wonderful food selection from the country.  At the end of your trip, you will enjoy a delicious dessert and beverages will also be provided.
 
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children.  To reserve tickets, please call 781-293-0422 or the church at 781-293-6393.
 
Please come and join us for a wonderful international trip that allows you to experience delicious cuisine from different countries around the world.


Bridgewater Square Chiropractic

We Are Excited to Announce The
LZ30-X Laser
For "State-of-the-Art" Treatment of Chronic & Acute Pain
Call Our Office Today to Find Out More!

                            63 Main Street 
     Bridgewater
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    (508) 697-0050

HALIFAX READS - Prison Pup Partnership Program at MCI Plymouth

Have you ever heard of the Prison Pup Partnership?
It's a program run by NEADS  -- National Education for Assistance Dog Services (also known as Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans) 90-95% of NEADS puppies are trained in 10 correctional facilities throughout New England, including MCI Plymouth.
Dawn Anderson, a staffer with NEADS in Massachusetts, will talk about the program's success at MCI Plymouth and explain how local families can become involved with the program.
This event is part of Halifax Reads! Join the community in reading Weekends with Daisy by Sharron Kahn Luttrell, a memoir of her experience as a weekend puppy raiser with NEADS and the year she spent sharing the training of Daisy with a prison inmate at the J.J. Moran Medium Security Facility in Cranston, Rhode Island. Books will be available Oct. 3!
The Halifax Cultural Council is now accepting applications for the Council's Fiscal Year 2016 grant cycle.  All applications must be submitted to the Halifax Cultural Council, 499 Plymouth Street, Halifax, MA 02338, no later than Thursday, October 15.  Grant applications and other information are available on the Council's web site: www.town.halifax.ma.us/HalifaxMA_Bcomm/Cultural - This year, the Council's priorities include an emphasis on events in Halifax, but not just in the "municipal center;" programs related to nature, science, environmental education and the Town's history; programs for seniors, library patrons, and teens; and programs involving artists and speakers Halifax.  Applicants can obtain more information through the Halifax Board of Selectmen's office at 781-294-1316.

Oct 15, 2015, 7pm, area Veterans are welcome to come & receive free help filing claims with the VA. 
VFW Post 2125, 40 Orange St.,  Bridgewater, MA
"When we tackle obstacles, we find hidden reserves of courage and resilience we did not know we had. And it is only when we are faced with failure do we realize that these resources were always there within us. We only need to find them and move on with our lives."
~A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Here's a toast to all the resilient men & women, who figure out a solution to the problem... and keep on plugging away, with a smile on their face and grit in their teeth. 
~ Jacquie
Halifax Town Buildings

Town Hall
499 Plymouth St.
781-294-1316
Mon-Thurs 8a-4p

Holmes Public Library
470 Plymouth Street
 781-293-2271 
Mon & Wed 12noon-8p
Tues, Thurs, Fri  10a-5p
Saturday 10a-2p


Council on Aging
506 Plymouth Street
781-293-7313
Mon -Thurs 9a-3p
Friday 9a-1p

A big thank you to our advertisers...
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Grants Rental

From Tools for Home Improvement Projects to Indoor/Outdoor Parties & Fundraisers...We Rent It All

Call Us Today to Discuss Your Rental Needs or to Make a Reservation

10 Bedford Park
Bridgewater
508-279-0950


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Salon Serenity
 
Specializing in Foils & Colors

Senior Discount
10% Off Daily

Hours:
Wed 10am-7pm
Thurs 12-8pm
Fri & Sat 9am-3pm

(781) 293-5379

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NOTICE:   The Building Department will be closed Monday, October 5, Tuesday, October 6 and Wednesday, October 7, 2015.  Permits may be dropped off with the Conservation Secretary.  

No inspections will be completed during this time. Please schedule accordingly.  


Nessralla Farm
Nessralla Farm Corn Maze 
Open 
7 Days a Week Thru Nov 1
10am - 6pm
Bouncehouses, pony rides and kids' activities: a great day for the family!

Massachusetts Largest Pumpkin Drop Columbus Weekend
2:00pm

Nessralla Farm Offers a Variety of 
Rt 106, Halifax
781-293-6792


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South Shore Martial Arts

Martial Arts is Great for Kids, 6 Weeks and Free Uniform Only $69

Serving The South Shore for Over 30 Years

We're in The Business of Changing Lives Through Martial Arts Training!

420 Plymouth St
Halifax, MA
(781) 293 - 0440


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The Halifax Board of Assessors Office will be closed on Thursday, October 15, to allow the staff to attend an all-day workshop.
Green Earth logo
Green Earth Cleaning 
 
For a Healthy Home and a Cleaner Environment. 

We Use Only All Natural Cleaning Products and Scent with Pure Essential Oils

Licensed & Fully Insured

Mary (508) 517 - 6991

...and please remember to mention you saw them in the Buzz Around!


Halifax School Committee Meeting

Monday, October 5, at 7pm

Halifax Elementary School

 

Please join us.

All are welcome to attend our meetings.


Special State Primary Election

Tuesday, October 6 8am-8pm

Halifax Elementary School

 


Reminder:

There is no school on Monday, Oct 12 for Columbus Day AND

Tuesday, Oct 13 for teacher's in-service day.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, October 13, 2015, at 8 PM. in the Selectmen's Meeting Room, 499 Plymouth Street, Halifax, to consider an application by Garrett Back for a long-term trailer permit for residential use on property located at 23 Richview Avenue.
Coming Events at SLRHS

Tues, 10/6   College Fair
6:30-8:30pm
Wed, 10/7   Parent-Teacher Conferences 6-8pm
Thurs, 10/8  Picture Retakes
Thurs, 10/8   Silver Lake Idol  Starts at 6pm
Thurs, 10/8   School Committee Mtg. 7pm

TRIAD Meeting

Tuesday, October 14, at 10am

Halifax Police Station

 

Join us for our next TRIAD meeting.

Our guest speaker with be Susan Playfair.

Susan will be discussing the past and

current condition of our cranberry bogs.

All are welcome to join us.


prize box
 
WEEKLY TRIVIA GAME 
have fun with us
and beeee entered to win

Two tickets to Nessralla Farms Corn Maze
139 Hemlock Lane, Halifax
(up to an $18 value)
 
Historical Tidbit Question:
What was the baboon's favorite toy?


Email us your answer at: 
Please include your name, 
phone number & town
with your answer.
By entering, you give us
permission to announce 
your name in next week's 
Buzz Around Halifax.
  
On October 6, 2015, we 
will randomly pick a winner
from the correct answers.

The Buzz was compiled

this week by , Theresa McNulty, Marla
Prince, Stacy Rancourt, 
Jacquelyn Rose, & Betty Stirling.

 

 

Copyright 2015 Buzz Around Halifax. 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 Halifax 10/4/15")    

Disclaimer: At the Buzz Around, we promote community and family. Occasionally, there will be links to town committees and other non-profit groups, as a way of sharing local information.  Individual groups are responsible for how they represent themselves on their websites and in their promotional materials.  The Buzz Around does not claim to support any particular view.