Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion

12/02/2024

Be sure to listen in! 😀 We'll also put the show recording link in the comments.

Tune into our weekly radio show, Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion tomorrow night at 6:15PM on 95.9 WATD FM! Hosted by Holly Flanagan, this episode will also be live-streamed at 959watd. com.

Our guests will discuss the upcoming Southeast Regional Disability Inclusion Summit on Dec. 11th:

• Katie Driscoll, Program Director, The Arc of Massachusetts Pathways to Friendship Project

• Lisa Drennan, Founder, MERGE Inclusion Consulting

• Lance Kennedy, Recreation Director, Town of Pembroke

"Breaking the Ice” is presented by the Bridgewater State University EXCEL Program (BSU EXCEL Programs) and hosted by The Great Blizz. The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.

If you haven’t already, please follow our show page (tagged above) on Facebook which includes recordings of the episodes and more!

Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

11/25/2024

Tune into our weekly radio show, "Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion" tomorrow night as co-host Steve Nearman and guest-host Susan Habchy interview MA Sen. Senator Patrick O’Connor about his plans to advocate for us special needs families this year on Beacon Hill.

The show airs on 95.9 WATD FM on Tuesdays at 6:15PM, and will also be live-streamed at 959watd. com.

"Breaking the Ice” is presented by the Bridgewater State University EXCEL Program (BSU EXCEL Programs) and hosted by The Great Blizz. The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.

If you haven’t already, please follow this show page which includes recordings of the episodes and more!

11/18/2024

On the next episode of Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion, our guests will be Mary Fox and Tony Vitorino of Community Autism Resources. They’ll have a lively talk about Healthy Relationships, an 8-week course on dating and s*x for our special needs population, with host Steve Nearman. A good listen for everybody!

The show airs at 6:15PM on Tuesday night on 95.9 WATD FM, and will also be live-streamed at 959watd. com.

"Breaking the Ice” is presented by the Bridgewater State University EXCEL Program (BSU EXCEL Programs) and hosted by The Great Blizz. The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.

👉 If you haven’t already, please follow our show page (tagged above) on Facebook which includes recordings of the episodes and more!

Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

11/12/2024

Be sure to tune-in tonight at 6:15!

Tune in to our talk show, Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion ✨TONIGHT at 6:15PM✨ on 95.9 WATD FM! The show, hosted by Holly Flanagan, will also be live-streamed at 959watd. com.

Holly will be joined on the broadcast by Jim Coughlin, Executive Director of Plymouth County Family Support, Inc. They’ll discuss entering adulthood, programs for adults with disabilities in our area, and myths and misconceptions within the disability community.

"Breaking the Ice” is presented by the Bridgewater State University EXCEL Program (BSU EXCEL Programs) and hosted by The Great Blizz. The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.

👉 If you haven’t already, please follow our show page (tagged above) on Facebook which includes recordings of the episodes and more!

Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

11/04/2024

My co-host Holly Flanagan and I put our collective heads together - as we frequently do - to come up with an interesting show for you all tomorrow for "Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion." Host by and powered by Bridgewater State University's EXCEL program.

Ok, so it's election day, like how long have we been waiting for tomorrow, like almost 4 years...so we decided that with anxieties so high across this nation of ours, we would keep the show light and positive, especially with polls closing an hour after our show.

Steve will fulfill his long-time dream role as DJ, and you all are welcome to weigh in here with your song requests, in the comments section or email [email protected]. Or you can call in during the show on WATD959FM at 6:15pm-7pm by dialing (781) 837-4900.

I will try to get as many of your requests on the air and if you indicate, I will dedicate the song to you.

So help me made a great play list!!!!!! Remember, keep it positive!

Broadcasting from the South Shore | Marshfield MA.

11/03/2024

conducted its two practices today at The Kingston Bog and Tony Kent Arena and both arenas were packed with thrilling action!

As planned, we worked on the proper and safe way to dig pucks off the boards and shoot on our goalies. We also did some focusing on stopping on the dime.

Then it was time to scrimmage and we set up cross ice games and let our players play! Lots of huffing and puffing and sweat afterwards. Mission Accomplished.

At Kingston, we welcomed new coach Jack and presented coveted Great Blizz BLACK JACKETS to Coaches Danilo Ramirez and Rich Murphy for their long-term dedication and excellence to our program.

By tradition, Shane KT passed the famous SHI Boston 2024 trophy to Jonathan N who is planning pics with the trophy at an airport of course. And we sang Happy Birthday to our hardworking Photoguy Bill Wedge. Blush…

At Tony Kent, we happily welcomed back Coach Hunter Schofield and the Latham School crew. We also onboarded two new players Jeremiah aka Jerr and Lilly. The scouting report on the two rookies gave them great potential.

Next week, 16 Great Blizz players head north to the Green Mountain State of Vermont for a weekend C tourney. More from St Albans next week!

Enjoy today’s pics from Bill Wedge.

10/30/2024

the Ice - Let’s Talk Inclusion Co-Hosts Holly Flanagan and Steve Nearman were at the Plymouth County Family Support Wine Tasting Fundraiser tonight.

We were not surprised that their staff threw a fantastic party for all of us attendees. Everything they do is first class.

The bottomless wine, food, raffles , silent auction and catching up with friends made for a wonderful night.

The Great Blizz special hockey team totally appreciates PCFS and your work on our behalf. Together, we are benefiting our community one hockey player at a time!

Did you ever notice that the word "wine" contains the word "win?"

WATD959FM at 6:15pm on Tuesdays.

10/30/2024

Tonight hosted our very first Candidates Forum on our "Breaking the Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion" show on WATD959FM.

We so appreciate Reps Mathew Muratore and Dylan Fernades - running for State Senate - and Michelle Badger and Jesse Brown - running for State Representative - sharing 45 minutes of their busy campaign schedules to discuss specifically what they as elected officials can do to try to make our special community better for all of us.

With the stellar assistance of co-moderator Susan Habchy, we heard bi-partisan support and compassion for the special needs community from our four candidates. Make sure you vote next Tuesday!

If you’d like to become more active and help call attention to some of what we have discussed tonight, you can learn more at TheArcOfMass.org.

Pictured below at the WATD959FM Studios in Marshfield
left to right in front row - co-moderators Susan Habchy and Steve Nearman
left to right in back row - candidates Rep Dylan Fernandes, Michelle Badger, Rep Mathew Muratore and Jesse Brown.
photobombing by Elvis...

10/29/2024

We have a special show planned for Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion! Be sure to tune-in tomorrow from 6:15-7:00 PM on 95.9 WATD FM.

Join us for 🌟 THE GREAT BLIZZ CANDIDATES FORUM 🌟

Our special guests include: State Senator candidates Dylan Fernandes and Matt Muratore; and State House candidates Michelle Badger and Jesse Brown.

Your moderators for the evening will be Susan Habchy and Steve Nearman.

We’re looking for the answers to the question, what can and will our Massachusetts Senate and House candidates do for our special community?

The program will also be live-streamed at 959watd .com
Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

10/21/2024

Tune in on our new day and time: Tuesday, Oct. 22nd at 6:15pm on 95.9 WATD FM for "Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion," hosted by Steve Nearman and produced by The Great Blizz special hockey team! This episode will also be live-streamed at 959watd. com.

Steve will be joined on the broadcast by Boston Bruins Alumni President Frank Simonetti and Capt. Ryan Croley, US Navy SEAL (Ret), president of the Warrior For Life Fund.*

The show’s guests will break news about the Boston Bruins Alumni lineup for their annual Face Off for Heroes Game against the Warrior for Life Fund All Stars on December 7 at Warrior Arena in Brighton.

We will discuss the relationship between the Bruins Alumni and WFLF, but a major component of the WFLF is hockey, which has resulted in a series of games between Bruins Alumni, NHL Alumni, and active duty and retired members of the Naval Special Warfare community, more commonly known as Navy SEALs.

The largesse of these games is the annual Face Off for Heroes Nate Hardy Memorial game held each December at Warrior Arena. The WFLF brings in their best lineup from Virginia Beach and Coronado, CA to take on the Bruins Alumni team. The Alumni take nothing for granted having been beaten by the WFLF All Stars in 2021, but have beefed up their lineups lately with retired players like Kevan Miller, Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron.

We also will discuss the significant impact that the Bruins Alumni organization has on our community with 35 games on the 2024-2025 schedule with charitable organizations all around New England.

And we will discuss last season’s successes including the wonderful partnership The Great Blizz has developed with the Boston Bruins Alumni over six games in five years.

*The WFLF focuses support to active duty, veterans, and their families through sport and community as they navigate the unique challenges of combat deployments and life after service.

"Breaking the Ice” is presented by the Bridgewater State University EXCEL Program (BSU EXCEL Programs) and hosted by The Great Blizz. The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.
Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

10/14/2024

Tune in tomorrow and call or text the studio with your questions at 781-837-4900. 😀

Tune in tomorrow at our new day and time: Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 6:15pm on 95.9 WATD FM for Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion, hosted by Holly Flanagan and produced by The Great Blizz special hockey team! This episode will also be live-streamed at 959watd. com.

Our guest will be Angela Isaac, Parent to Parent Coordinator of the Family Ties program at the Federation for Children with Special Needs. This program matches caregivers with a volunteer support parent whose child shares the same diagnosis, offering emotional support. They are actively looking for more volunteer support parents - listen to the show to learn more!

The FCSN empowers families so that they have the information and resources they need for their children. They work with families with children from birth to adulthood, providing individual assistance, training, and leadership development and support. They focus on education, early intervention, health care, transitions, children in foster care and group homes, and building strong family engagement to support all children, especially those children with disabilities, those at risk, and those with economic, cultural or linguistic barriers. Visit their website at fcsn. org.

"Breaking the Ice” is presented by the Bridgewater State University EXCEL Program (BSU EXCEL Programs) and hosted by The Great Blizz. The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.
Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

10/07/2024

Is the special person in your life driving you crazy because they want to get behind the wheel of your car and you are concerned if they can do it safely?

Tune in tomorrow at our new day and time: Tuesday at 6:15pm on 95.9 WATD FM for Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion, hosted by Steve Nearman and produced by The Great Blizz special hockey team! Our guests, David Haley and daughter Lauren Haley-Kelly from Grand Prix Driving School, and their student Lilly, will surprise our listeners with their success stories with special needs drivers.

Grand Prix Driving School is the only school on Cape Cod with the training, knowledge, and teaching techniques to instruct students with disabilities properly. They have worked closely with students from Riverview School, Cape Abilities, the Department of Mental Health, the LIFE Program, and the Mass Rehab Commission. Their instructors help students with learning disabilities and cognitive or physical difficulties that might make learning to drive uniquely challenging.

"Breaking the Ice” is presented by the Bridgewater State University EXCEL Program (BSU EXCEL Programs) and hosted by The Great Blizz. The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.
Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

10/03/2024

BREAKING NEWS - and this REALLY is news...from our flagship station WATD 95.9FM in Marshfield, home to "Breaking the Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion."

Our show was just offered a drive-time slot - TUESDAYS at 6:15pm - and we quickly grabbed it. So we are moving from Wednesdays at 8pm to Tuesdays at 6:15pm, starting next week through the end of the year and hopefully into 2025.

Same great content and guests, same cheerful and engaging co-hosts, same 95.9FM dial, just a new time.

Contact us here or live on the show (781-837-4900) and let us know what's on your mind. What topics are of interest to you and what you'd like us to ask our upcoming guests.

Don't be shy and don't keep us a secret. Spread the word! We are a huge resource for the special community, possibly the only show in the country solely catering to our inclusive community.

Whether you are stuck in rush-hour traffic or home preparing dinner, let us pass the time with you.

Speaking of driving...Tuesday's show takes our listeners to an area driving school which caters also to people with disabilities. We will have real people with real stories to tell and you won't want to miss it.

On live 95.9 or stream through the website www.959watd.com

And a big thank you to longtime station owner Ed Perry for his generosity to our program and our community and for help with the new time slot.

10/02/2024

Tune-in to 95.9 WATD FM tonight, Wed., Oct. 2nd at 8:00PM for our talk show, "Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion"! This episode will be a rebroadcast of last week's show, and will also be live-streamed at 959watd. com. Our host is Holly Flanagan.

Our guest this week is Laurel Hickey, Founder of Razzle Dazzle Special Travel.

"Breaking the Ice” is presented by the Bridgewater State University EXCEL Program (BSU EXCEL Programs) and Nearman Financial Insurance Advisors, and hosted by The Great Blizz. The program airs every Wednesday at 8PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.
Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

09/28/2024

The Kingston Bog and Tony Kent Arena were THE places to be this morning
as mixed work with fun and continued to build hockey players for our team.

Through the games of PacMan, Trucks and Trailers and Battleship, we made skills and drills into laughs and grins. And we’re talking about our loyal fans too. We certainly gave the crowd their money’s worth!

Like fish in water, we got our new players swiftly on the ice - Kim at the Bog and Teddy, Kayley and Luke at Tony Kent. And we saw the long-awaited debut of hockey phenom Molly. She did not disappoint.

We also welcomed new coach Dom at the Bog. And we welcomed new coach Nora and the father-son McIntosh coaching duo at Tony Kent. Impressive resumes and we are so lucky to have them on our ice.

And our photographer Bill Wedge caught the action for you! Enjoy!

09/27/2024

Just back from the palatial equipment storage facility where Coach Patty and Coach Nearms suited up THREE new Great Blizz players.

They are so excited to hit the ice tomorrow and we cannot wait to see them grow into Great Blizz ice hockey players.

Looks like our scouts found us some real potential talent!

PLEASE give a big welcome to Kayley, Luke and Theodore aka Teddy!!!!

See you ladies and gentlemen tomorrow morning :)

09/25/2024

Tune-in to 95.9 WATD FM tonight, Wed., Sept. 25th at 8:00PM for our talk show, Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion! This episode will be a rebroadcast of last week's show, and will also be live-streamed at 959watd. com. Our host is Holly Flanagan.

Our guest this week is Velda Scott, Vice Chair of Plymouth Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). We’ll discuss seclusion in public schools, which was recently featured in an article in the Boston Globe.

"Breaking the Ice” is presented by the Bridgewater State University EXCEL Program (BSU EXCEL Programs) and Nearman Financial Insurance Advisors, and hosted by The Great Blizz. The program airs every Wednesday at 8PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.

09/21/2024

5 years of hockey, friendships, mentoring and laughs! Happy Anniversary Great Blizz ! No player left behind 🏒