Dear Newcs,
(An endearing term I learned from Loretta, past president circa 1970s)
 
The weather isn’t the only thing to look forward to this spring — we’re exactly a month away from our Big 50th Birthday Bash! We intend for it to be a town-wide celebration of five decades of fun, friendships and giving. We will be highlighting our wonderful grant recipients and enjoying food and entertainment, and we do hope you join us on Saturday afternoon, June 1st at the Green outside of the First Congregational Church. Exact time to be determined.
 
Now that our logo contest deadline has been met, the Board will look at the applicants and pick the top entries for a member-wide vote on the winner. Please look out for that vote.
 
Last, but not least, it is time to start thinking of next membership year. Executive Board positions, in particular, have term limits, so many of us will not be continuing in these roles. Please take a look at the descriptions and consider joining this special team. https://hollistonnewcomers.org/board-positions
The new board is traditionally installed in June with a little party. We are happy to answer any questions you may have on these valuable positions.
 
Thanks for reading,

Christel
President
Christel DiPippo   president@hollistonnewcomers.org

Our Spring Membership Special is still on.  New members, who join now, not only enjoy Newcomers social events and participate in giving back to our community for the rest of the 2018-2019 membership year (ending August 2019) but also will be enrolled as a full-paying member for the 2019-2020 year! So tell your friends it’s not too late in the year to join!
 
We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new members who have recently joined:

           Allison Fisher
           Payal Mittal & Gaurav Jain

Debbie 
Second Vice President
Debbie Colburn 2ndVP.HollistonNewcomers@gmail.com
 

Join us for dinner, drinks or dessert on Friday, May 17 at 7:00 pm at the newly opened Bar Athena at 770 Washington St. (where Jasper Hill was located). They boast a seasonally changing menu with Mediterranean influences. Come hang out with fellow members and feel free to bring a friend.

Please RSVP to Committee.newcomers@gmail.com if interested by May 13, so we can reserve a big enough table or section.
 

Make-up Party on May 31 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at B. Luxe Salon, 165 Main St. Suite 208 in Medway.

The party will be approximately two hours long. It will include 1.5 hours of an individualized makeup lesson taught by a professional makeup artist. She will show you how to put your best face forward, using your own makeup as well as making recommendation for new products. So grab your makeup bag, and B. Luxe will show you what to toss and what to keep. Wine and light snacks will be offered as well!  Tickets sales have closed, but please email timusch@yahoo.com if you are interested in attending.
 
Thank you,

Jennifer and Timea
Ladies Escapes C0-Chairs
Jennifer Mott hncladiesescape@gmail.com
Timea Kovacs timusch@yahoo.com

Read along with other HNN book fans this month as we make our way through Beartown, by Fredrik Bachman.  This popular title is on reserve at the front desk of the Holliston Library for HNN members, so grab a copy, enjoy the read and come chat with other members at our monthly meeting on May 21 at 7:30 PM.  The meeting location will be emailed to Book Club members a few days beforehand.
 
We could use a new host location for the May or June meeting.   If you are interested, please let us know. Members are reminded that Book Club has its own Facebook page where you can stay up to date with current happenings.  Any questions?  Reach us through Facebook or at the emails listed below. 
 
About BEARTOWN: 

”Fredrik Backman knows that we are forever shaped by the places we call home, and in this emotionally powerful, sweetly insightful story, he explores what can happen when we carry the heavy weight of other people's dreams on our shoulders."

“From the New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry, and Britt-Marie Was Here, comes a poignant, charming novel about a forgotten town fractured by scandal, and the amateur hockey team that might just change everything. Winning a junior ice hockey championship might not mean a lot to the average person, but it means everything to the residents of Beartown, a community slowly being eaten alive by unemployment and the surrounding wilderness.”  Provided by the publisher. 
 
Looking ahead, we will close out the year with Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng as our June selection.
 
Cindy and Sue
Book Club Co-Chairs 
Cindy Carr   carr.cynthiad@gmail.com
Sue Hatton   hncbookclub@outlook.com

Our second annual Princess and Superhero Party was a great success! Since we sold out last year, it was moved to a bigger venue, and added performances and specials made it very entertaining and interactive.
 
After the initial meet and greet of Elsa, Belle, Cinderella, Ariel, Batman, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Iron Man and a stunning mermaid,


the kids spanned out to enjoy crafts, hair by B. Luxe Salon, nail art, hair chalk, temporary tattoos, face painting and an ice cream sundae bar.
 

Next Generation Martial Arts demonstrated some superhero moves and invited kids on the stage to practice and break a couple of boards.
 

Ever After Storybook Entertainment followed with an interactive singing performance with Ariel and dancing with Belle.
 

Officer Hagan and newcomer, K9 Mattis, taught us about life as a police dog, and obedience training.
 

Holliston’s own, Starlight Kids Parties, wrapped up the party with a sing-a-long by Elsa, and dancing with Cinderella. Kids delighted in this very interactive party.
 

Generous raffles were brought home by lucky winners.
 

It was a magical, powerful and entertaining experience!

Thank you to all who helped make it happen.

Christel, Katrine and Erica
Princess and Superhero Co-Chairs
Christel DiPippo   Christellize@yahoo.com
Katrine Giroux   katrinegiroux@gmail.com
Erica Long   erilouboston@gmail.com

The Community Investment Committee is pleased to announce the 2019 Grant Recipients!

• Holliston Parks & Recreation - Summer Concerts in the Park
• Holliston Public Library - Museum Passes
• Holliston Police Department - Handheld LIDAR unit for speed enforcement
• Conservation Associates - Brentwood Trailhead Marker
• Marigold Project - Downtown Hanging Baskets

These recipients really appreciate our efforts that help them give that extra boost back to our community. Remember that this Grant money is raised during the various fundraising activities held throughout the year, which is why it is so important for the Newcomer & Neighbor membership to volunteer at these events. The 2018 fundraising events that contributed to the 2019 Grant fund were Princess & Superhero Party, Touch-A-Truck, The Great Pumpkin Trail, and Gingerbread House Decorating. Thanks to all those who organized and volunteered at these events. Thanks also to fellow committee members Christel DiPippo, Robin Bowman, Beth Welch, and Sue Hatton for the time and effort that was put into the review and selection process.

Debbie Colburn

Community Investments Chair Community Investment Committee​ 

HNCCommunityInvestments@gmail.com

Thank you for supporting the Holliston Newcomers & Neighbors Easter Basket Project with the Food Pantry!

This was our eighth year coordinating with the Food Pantry to fill requests for Easter Baskets. We received requests for Easter Baskets for children ranging from a few months old to teenagers. We were able to get volunteers from the Holliston community assigned to all 40 requests!  I even made sure to have a few extra for last minute sign-ups, which came in handy!

This event would not have been able to take place without the support of the community. Families, individuals, churches and organizations participated in making Easter even better for children of all ages.

Volunteers went above and beyond and put so much love and thought into each donation. The baskets were incredible, and Fiske's definitely put together some fun baskets; we thank them for continuing to support this project!

Thank you everyone for taking on the role of the Easter Bunny!

Families picked up their baskets the week of April 15th at the Food Pantry to take home for children to find on Easter.

Many sincere thanks to all who volunteered and to Tom Dumas from the Food Pantry, with whom I coordinated, and who picked up all the baskets.

http://www.hollistonpantryshelf.org/

Melissa

Easter Baskets Chair

Melissa Marien melissa.a.cloutier@gmail.com

We are in need of four more gift baskets and ten more Target gift cards to make our Easter Basket project goals.

I am so excited to announce that we are continuing our partnership with the Holliston Pantry Shelf to support them with Easter Basket collection.

I have received the sign-up list for the Easter Basket requests!

How it works: Families sign up with the Holliston Pantry Shelf and provide the child's gender, age and some ideas of what the child likes or specific interests.

We are also continuing our partnership with Fiske's in Holliston. You will be able to pick your basket at the store, get 20% off items, and they will put your basket together!

• Ages 0-3 get a $25 gift card to Target
• Ages 4-13 get a $25 - $30
• Ages 14-18 get a $25 gift card to Target or Fiske’s

If you would like to participate, you can email me (melissa.a.cloutier@gmail.com), and I will let you know what we still need donated.

If you prefer, you can always mail or drop off a check, or $25 gift card to Target or Fiske's.

Once you have been assigned a child to donate to, I will email you the drop off information, which will take place on Friday April 12th evening and Saturday April 13th late afternoon.

Please let me know if you have any questions & thank you for your support!

Melissa Marien
Easter Baskets Chair
melissa.a.cloutier@gmail.com

This spring we’re excited for some positive changes to our club, as we celebrate its 50th anniversary!
 
First and foremost, we have a new name, Holliston Newcomers & Neighbors. The shift, which was the result of a unanimous vote at our last Special Meeting, is intended to welcome all neighbors into our organization and send the message that we are inclusive regardless of how long one has lived in the area — together we can make positive changes to thrive and grow as a community. The new name has been filed with Town Hall, and you will start to see updated branding as a result.
 
The largest overhaul you’ll notice immediately is a relaunch of our website: www.hollistonnewcomers.org. Angela Page has been  working with other members of the board to to create a site that better represents our organization and the benefits we bring to the local community . Please take a look and send any feedback to ajherring@gmail.com.
 
In addition to the new website, we are pleased to announce an open contest to design a new logo. Please send submissions (specifications below) to HNCexecutiveboard@gmail.com by April 30th. The winner will receive $100. We wish you the best of luck!
 
Finally to recognize our big birthday, we are throwing a town-wide celebration in June, and everyone is invited! Stay tuned for more details, but expect lots of fun, food and friends, along with the announcement of our deserving 2019 grant award recipients!
 
Cheers,

Christel
President
Christel DiPippo   president@hollistonnewcomers.org