WCC donates to NCC mural

The second week of the Norwood Farmers Market was, perhaps, a little more cheerful and a lot more dry than opening day.

Residents perused the stalls and vendors pitched their wares, and about halfway into the afternoon, Women’s Community Committee (WCC) President Deb Reddick, Ecology Chair Helen Wyche and member Sylvia Sullivan all said they believed in the mural and the artist, Norwood resident and artist Tara Bilotta. So they came down to give the project $1,000 to help it along.

“It’s a fantastic thing for the community,” said Reddick. “Since our inception, we have been very ecologically-minded, civic minded, and beautification minded.”

“Our mission is to help the people of Norwood,” Sullivan said. “That’s what we’re here to do.”

The three said they hadn’t even seen the drafts of the mural before donating.

“But Jonathan said he’d give us a sneak peak,” said Reddick.

“We can be quiet most of the time,” said Sullivan. “We’re pretty trustworthy.”

For the summer months, the WCC Thrift Store in South Norwood will only be open on Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Norwood Cultural Council (NCC) Co-Chair Jonathan Cardoni and Co-Chair Kristen Bassett said the WCC reached out after members read about the mural project in The Norwood Record’s coverage of the NCC’s meeting on the subject.

“Then they emailed us and said, ‘Do you want $1,000?’ and we said, ‘Okay,’” Bassett said.

Cardoni said the funds will be used to support the printing costs for postcards and merch prints of the mural to help promote the endeavor. The main vinyl printing costs are being handled by Carroll Advertising, the owner of which, John Carroll, also donated the wall space on 528-534 Washington St. to which the mural will be lamented.

“Just for reprints and production rights so we can sell them as small copies for fundraising,” Bassett said.

Cardoni said they are looking at different vendors now for posters and postcards for the mural.

The mural itself will be unveiled on Norwood Day, Aug. 29 at 11 a.m. For more information on Norwood Day, go to https://gvimes.link/nrwday26

For more information on the NCC, go to https://gvimes.link/ncc

At the Norwood Farmers Market itself, residents and patrons said they loved the offerings and relaxed atmosphere of the event.

Resident Mary Ellen Currier said she dropped by on her way to pick up flowers.

“I came out to do a flower pickup at Maha Juice Bar for Dorothy’s Flowers; I come every other week,” she said, and explained that Dorothy’s Flowers is a subscription-based flower service started by Norwood’s Charlotte Walsh, the former owner of Charles River Running. “You pick up your bouquet every other week, and so I saw the Farmers Market is here so I thought I’d check it out. And it’s just a beautiful day for it.”

Resident Vito Costa said he came out to support Boogie Bracelets, which is run by a friend.

“They’re good people, I like their crafts and I like coming to see the new stuff she comes up with,” he said.

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Costa said he makes the trip every few weeks from North Attleboro just for the bracelets, but he said he enjoys the market overall as well.

“They’re friendly people here,” he said.

Resident and partner at Side Door Cafe Jake Logan said he first came out last year because he wanted to be more connected to the local community. He said he bought a keychain from Eight Bells Weaving, and was coming back now because he needed a new one.

“I was throwing it around on my key chain so much that it broke,” he said. “This market is great; I haven’t been to too many in the surrounding communities, but now that I’m a business owner with Side Door, I think it’s important to support everyone here with their local businesses, whether it’s the leather guy, Eight Bells, the Bittersweet Bakery or the other artists and artisans setting up shop here. It’s not that not a lot of people know about this, but I think it definitely should start to spread, especially among younger people. I mean the variety here. My friend just came down and got Pokemon cards from Wild Willy’s. It’s great.”

Squat + Reset owner Ivy Watts said she’s moving into her new space at 650 Washington St., and will have a grand opening on Aug. 1. She said she’s got to meet a lot of the Norwood community while setting up, and she’s excited to be a part of it.

“I love it so far, I love all the businesses and I’m really excited to get to know more people here,” she said. “Everyone here has been so welcoming today. I feel like I chose a really great community to build community in.”

The idea for the business is Somatic Fitness, which she said combines nervous system regulation and strength training.

“We go into strength-based exercises, and try to put people in a natural fight-or-flight response – the stressed feeling we’re often used to – and then we go into somatic movements that help people go into regulation,” she said. “That helps people expand their capacity to handle stress and hard times without losing themselves.”

For more information on all the vendors at the market and upcoming events, go to https://gvimes.link/frmsmkt26