Dennis Murphy has been blowing bubbles and bringing joy to passersby in Plainville for 26 years. (Kim Tunnicliffe/WBZ NewsRadio)
PLAINVILLE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — If you're looking for a quick "pick-me-upper," drive by the Plainville Public Library on Mondays and Fridays throughout the summer.
One town resident, 34-year-old Dennis Murphy, has been standing outside, blowing bubbles and bringing joy to passersby, for 26 years.
Murphy, whose mother Terry is a volunteer at the library, stands outside with a bubble wand and a smile. He has an intellectual disability, but that doesn't slow him down.
He wears his "beep for bubbles" shirt, and drivers oblige.
Now, after a new neighbor complained about the beeping, the town of Plainville held a day to honor Dennis, naming him as their unofficial Good Will Ambassador.
The State Senate congratulated him with an official citation for "spreading tremendous joy in the Town of Plainville through your infectious smile and buckets of bubbles."
Just about every resident in town knows all about Dennis. They told WBZ NewsRadio's Kim Tunnicliffe he makes their day with his bubble blowing.
"It's always so nice to see such a happy face when you walk by," said one resident.
Dozens of residents turned out recently to blow bubbles with him after the neighbor's complaint.
Terry said she's been overwhelmed by the support the town has shown for her son in real life and on social media.
"When the 'Got Junk?' trucks came in and six guys got out with their bubble blowers and blew bubbles alongside Dennis, that was just very nice," she said.
A Ukulele group called the Unlikely Strummers even showed up and played two of Dennis's favorite songs—"Tiny Bubbles" and "Don't Worry, Be Happy."
That last one is fitting—Tunnicliffe asked Dennis why it's so fun to blow bubbles, and he answered, "Making people happy."
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WBZ NewsRadio's Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) reports