Final Decision to be made Based on Tide Conditions and Storm Progress

New Bedford, Massachusetts - In an effort to protect the New Bedford Harbor from storm surge, the Army Corps of Engineers anticipates the closure of the New Bedford Hurricane Dike sometime tomorrow afternoon, Friday, September 3, 2010. The final decision to close the dike is expected to be confirmed by the Army Corps of Engineers sometime tomorrow morning.

New Bedford Harbor Development Commission
Kristin Decas, Executive Director
508-991-3000

Imagine if there was one week where every person living in Greater New Bedford reached out a hand to help. That’s what United Way is challenging the community to do during LIVE UNITED Week, September 12-18.

Southcoast Hospitals is offering a free prostate cancer awareness program and screenings in Fall River and New Bedford during the month of September.

New Bedford/Fairhaven Drawbridge to Remain Open to Marine Traffic Only, Today and Tomorrow from 12pm (noon) to 6:30pm

Bridge Closed to Vehicular Traffic During this Time

New Bedford, Massachusetts- In an effort to provide appropriate accessibility for vessels to take shelter in New Bedford harbor in anticipation of Hurricane Earl’s arrival, New Bedford Port Security in conjunction with the United States Coast Guard has requested that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Highway Division keep the New Bedford/ Fairhaven Drawbridge open to marine traffic only beginning today, Wednesday, September 01, 2010 from 12:00pm (noon) to 6:30pm and again tomorrow, Thursday, September 2, 2010 from 12:00pm (noon) to 6:30pm.

During this time the bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic. A detour will be in place and there will be message boards in place during the closure to notify motorists.

For more information please contact Adam Hurtubise at the Department of Transportation at (617) 973-8093.

Community Nurse & Hospice Care (CNHC) and The Royal of Fairhaven have partnered together for a new annual family-oriented fundraiser called “Walk, Rock & Roll at The Royal” on Sunday, September 19, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is a rain or shine event with parking at the Fairhaven High School.

As the birds prepare to take flight, the NBAM is waving good by in style with free events. September 9th, AHA! night Sandra Hall, artist and illustrator, at 6:00 P.M. will discuss her forthcoming book, The Starting Place.

New Bedford, MA, August 17, 2010—The 2010 Working Waterfront Festival presents a Seafood Throwdown on Sunday, September 26th at 1PM. Chefs Henry Bousquet (Ice Chest) and Mike Melo (M & C Café) will compete to create a winning dish using a surprise seafood ingredient and local produce. Judging their creations will be Paula Marcoux, contributing writer for edibleSouthshore, Bruce Newbury, host of Dining Out and The Tasting Room, and Charis Anderson, food writer for the New Bedford Standard Times.

August 30, 2010 — Dartmouth, MA. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture and Department of English announce the hire of Prof. Frank X. Gaspar of Antioch University Los Angeles, for Fall Semester 2010. Prof. Gaspar will teach a one-semester creative writing seminar entitled “Writing (and rewriting) Ethnic New England” in the Department of English, under the auspices of the Hélio and Amélia Pedroso/Luso-American Foundation Endowed Chair in Portuguese Studies.

Tetrault Insurance Agency, Inc. is pleased to announce that Lucia Pimentel has joined the agency as Account Manager. Lucia is a licensed insurance broker with over twenty years experience in the insurance industry. Lucia will be working alongside Darren Fredette, VP, Commercial Insurance, to further develop the commercial lines practice.

New Bedford – About 40 teens participated in a jewelry making, fashion design, and creative arts summer work and learn program at Keith Middle School this summer. Under the leadership of Paula Benedetti, the Key Entrepreneurial Elements Program (K.E.E.P.) Keith participants mastered design skills, while learning the merchandising and marketing skills necessary to turn the treasures they produced into profitable business ventures. The program culminated in an art show at Keith, where thousands of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, key chains, and other trinkets were available for sale, as were beaded pillows and decorative accessories, candy bouquets, and artistic arrangements.

New Bedford, Massachusetts - At a ribbon cutting ceremony today Mayor Scott W. Lang was joined by State Representatives Robert Koczera and John Quinn, City Councilor Steve Martins, Commissioner of Public Infrastructure for New Bedford, Ron Labelle and New Bedford Environmental Steward, Scott Alfonse and dozens of residents of the Taber Mill Apartments in celebration of the opening of a new parking lot located next to the Taber Mill Apartments in the city’s north end.

Welcome to AHA! night when downtown New Bedford comes alive with Art, History and Architecture! On September 9thjoin us in celebrating the rich diversity of New Bedford’s cultures through the arts, stories and foods of the many groups who help create the fabric of New Bedford and make it the authentic city that it is.

New Bedford, Massachusetts - For the past twenty years, Massachusetts volunteers have scoured beaches, river banks, marshes, and the seafloor to pick up trash and record information about the types of trash being collected. These volunteers are part of COASTSWEEP, the Commonwealth’s annual coastal cleanup program, organized by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and the Urban Harbors Institute of the University of Massachusetts Boston.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- The deadline to register to vote or change party enrollment, voting address or voting name for the September 14th State Primary is Wednesday, August 25th. City Hall will be open till 8:00pm on August 25th to accommodate this deadline.

President Obama signed the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act on March 18, 2010. The HIRE Act is aimed at providing hiring incentives to restore some of the jobs lost in the latest economic recession and put Americans back to work as soon as possible.

Westport’s Town Farm provides the perfect setting to bring your family and friends on Saturday, August 21, to experience music inspired by landscapes similar to the Town Farm.

Join the Lloyd Center for the Environment for the FIFTH Annual Slocum River Regatta, “Southern New England’s Fall Rowing & Paddling Festival” on Saturday, September 11. Races will start and finish near the mouth of the Slocum River (nearby the Lloyd Center’s pier and dock) and traverse a two-mile closed-loop buoyed course on the tidal waters of one of New England’s most beautiful estuaries.

As veterinarians we know that bones can be dangerous for both dogs and cats, and we recommend to not feed bones to your pets. We have seen catastrophic results due to ingestion of bones. Recently the FDA released a paper on this subject and we wish to pass it along to you. All 10 points listed in the paper have been seen at Anchor Animal Hospital.

Start foot search immediately. The sooner you start searching, less distance your pet will have traveled. Thoroughly search the surrounding property and continue in the direction that your pet was last seen heading. Go door-to-door, starting close by initially, moving further out later.

“Diet” Pet Foods - A new study from Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine found a significant variation in both calorie density and suggested consumption in “low-calorie” dog and cat foods.

New Bedford, Massachusetts - Mayor Scott W. Lang announced today the recipients of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding totaling $3,270,911. The City, through the Office of Housing and Community Development, will provide CDBG funding to community based organizations and city departments that provide housing, economic development, public services and infrastructure improvements to assist in addressing the community based needs in New Bedford. The CDBG program is administered through the City’s Office of Housing and Community Development.

New Bedford, Massachusetts – Mayor Scott W. Lang was joined today by Congressman Barney Frank, Secretary of Public Safety and Security Mary Elizabeth Heffernan, the Governor’s Seaport Advisory Council and several other key officials in a ceremony to unveil the City’s newest Port asset, Fire Boat Marine 2.

2010 Art Drive - This open studio event this past weekend was a big success — organized by Dartmouth and Westport artists. As you know, each artist is donating a percentage of her/his profits to the Lloyd Center, a gesture described in the event's press releases as, "a way to support an organization dedicated to educating people about their natural local environment, which is an inspiration to many of the artists who work and live in the area".

PORT OF NEW BEDFORD, MA—The East Coast Marine Highway Initiative, a partnership between the Port of New Bedford, Massachusetts and the Port of Baltimore, Maryland and Port Canaveral, Florida has received recognition as an initiative in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new Marine Highways Program. The Department’s Maritime Administration chose eight projects and six initiatives from 35 applications submitted by ports and local transportation agencies.

New Bedford, Massachusetts - The following New Bedford recreational beach areas are closed today due to excessively high enterococcus counts, a public health risk to bathers.

The following sections of East Beach are closed:

O’TOOLE BEACH
TOWER 1
TOWER 4

The following New Bedford beaches will re-open today based on enterococcus counts that have dropped to acceptable levels.

The following section of the Fort Taber Beach area is re-opened:

TABER BEACH SOUTH

The following section of West Beach is re-opened.

SQUID BEACH

All New Bedford public beaches will be tested again tomorrow to assess bacterial counts and to determine if it will be safe to re-open all beaches on Saturday.

For more information of exact location of beach closures please visit the Massachusetts Department of Health’s website for maps of the area beaches at http://mass.digitalhealthdepartment.com/public_21/beaches.cfm?btown=new%20bedford

New Bedford Health Department
Marianne De Souza, Director of Public Health
508-991-6199

New Bedford poet Robert Xifaras won first prize in the "Fourth of July Poetry Works” All Star Poetry Contest sponsored by the Bridgewater Cultural Council and the Arts From the Heart of Middleboro. The event was featured at the Bridgewater Arts and Music Festival on the campus of Bridgewater State College on July 4, 2010. The name and the theme of the contest was "What it means to be an American in 2010".

The New Bedford Art Museum (NBAM) is delighted to introduce BAM! Because Art Matters. BAM! Because Adults Need Art more than ever and artists need the opportunity to work with other artists. Be inspired to broaden your techniques in a studio course at the New Bedford Art Museum this fall. Be challenged to interpret your ideas into original art with instructor Joanna Ruggiero, a former RISD instructor, with a BFA from UMass and a MFA from Vermont College. Joanna comes to the NBAM with a love of art, a wealth of talent, and a commitment to NBAM to teach adult education classes. A talent in her own right, Joanna loves sharing her techniques, her critical review and her inspiring approach to teaching art.

The Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board, Inc. (WIB) is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for FREE Weatherization Training through the Stepping Stone Program at Bristol Community College (BCC) to eligible participants.

The Greater New Bedford Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) invites professional women within the community to attend their monthly meeting on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 at White’s of Westport. The meeting will begin with networking from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. followed by dinner and then a speaker. The cost is $25 per person.

Dartmouth, MA – Enjoy a short canoe paddle from Tripp's boatyard to the edge of the eelgrass beds at the mouth of the Westport River. Lead by Mark Mello, Lloyd Center Research Director, “Seining for Subtropicals” will take place on Saturday, August 21 from 10:30am – 3:00pm. You will be using a seine (special kind of fishing net) to try to nab seahorses, jacks (a perch-like marine fish), groupers and other southern species that enter our waters in late summer. Plan on getting wet (including your shoes, shells can be sharp so no bare feet).

Dartmouth, MA – The public is invited to join the Lloyd Center for the Environment on Saturday, August 28 to experience stand-up paddle boarding on the Slocum River. Stand-up paddle boarding is a fun way to explore the waterways, improve your balance and get a fantastic core workout. Anyone can stand-up paddle!

New Bedford, Massachusetts- All New Bedford public beaches are re- Opened to swimming after 48 Hours of careful monitoring by the New Bedford Police Department Port Security Team and the United States Coast Guard.

The United States Coast Guard recently completed an aerial sweep of the New Bedford coastline, beginning in the area of the initial shark sighting off the coast of Ft. Taber, informing the City that the water is safe for re-entry.

The New Bedford Port Security Team, the United States Coast Guard and the State Police will continue to patrol area over the weekend for protective measures.

New Bedford, Massachusetts — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has announced that tonight’s aerial spraying against mosquitoes will not take place in New Bedford. Spraying will continue tonight in higher risk communities North of New Bedford and has been scheduled to begin in the New Bedford area tomorrow evening, Saturday, August 7, 2010 (weather permitting) between the hours of 8:00pm and 3:00am.

Boston, Mass. – The Animal Rescue League of Boston is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for throwing a suitcase with an adult female pit bull terrier and several bricks inside into the waters off the Frederick Street boat ramp on July 29 in New Bedford.

A coalition of leaders from Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities is celebrating the recent passage of an economic development bill that contains provisions that create new opportunities for state and private investments in business growth and job creation, market-rate housing, and public infrastructure in the state’s older, urban areas. The bill, passed by the legislature this past weekend was signed on Thursday morning by Governor Patrick.

New Bedford, MA, August 2, 2010—Welcome aboard as New Bedford, America’s largest commercial fishing port, hosts the 7th Working Waterfront Festival. The FREE event takes place September 25th and 26th on the working piers and waterfront parks of the historic Port of New Bedford. 

More than simply a celebration, the Working Waterfront Festival is a unique opportunity for the public to get a firsthand look at the culture of fishing and for the commercial fishing community to tell its own story. The event presents all that goes into bringing seafood from the ocean to the table in a way that is hands-on, educational and fun.

New Bedford, Massachusetts — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has announced that tonight’s aerial spraying against mosquitoes will not take place in New Bedford.

Spraying will begin tonight in higher risk communities North of New Bedford and has been tentatively scheduled to begin in the New Bedford area tomorrow evening, Friday, August 6, 2010 (weather permitting) between the hours of 8:00pm and 3:00am.



All New Bedford residents are asked to remain indoors during spraying hours to reduce/eliminate exposure risk to the insecticides. As an additional precaution, all New Bedford parks and beaches will be closed at 7:30pm and all recreational activities after 7:30pm will be cancelled.

Dartmouth, MA – Sorry gents, this one’s for ladies only! … Ladies, enjoy the tranquil beauty and serene views as you paddle along the historic Slocum River. Lead by Liz Moniz, Lloyd Center Senior Educator-Naturalist, this “women’s only” canoe trip will take place on Tuesday, August 24 from 6:00pm – 8:30pm. Learn basic canoe strokes and safety, then head out in a canoe to enjoy a summer evening on the water.

Dartmouth, MA – What better way to end the day than a peaceful paddle along the Slocum River. You'll feel your stress dissolve as you glide along this spectacular estuary, enjoying the setting sun. Watch wading and shorebirds flock to feed, see fish jump and await the multitude of color changes in the sky. This is a wonderful and relaxing way to explore the delicate ecosystem of this salt marsh. Inexperienced paddlers are welcome.

Dartmouth, MA – Join your friends and neighbors at the Lloyd Center’ FIFTH Annual Slocum River Regatta, “Southern New England’s Fall Rowing & Paddling Festival” on Saturday, 11 September 2010. Races will start promptly at 9:30am and finish near the Lloyd Center’s new pier and dock, at the mouth of the Slocum River, traversing a two-mile closed-loop course on the tidal waters of one of New England’s most beautiful estuaries.