New Bedford, Massachusetts- Mayor Scott W. Lang has joined with representatives from the New Bedford Area Office of the Department of Social Services and the New Bedford Community Connections’ Task Force for Foster Care Support in an effort to raise awareness of area foster children and the families who care for them. Today, Mayor Lang issued an official proclamation declaring May “Foster Care Month” in New Bedford in honor of the dozens of New Bedford families who have welcomed foster children into their hearts and homes.

WESTPORT — With a $2,000 grant to work with, all seventh and eighth grade students in the Westport Middle School will be taking part in a Diamondback Terrapin Science Program, through the Lloyd Center for the Environment, in the upcoming year.

DARTMOUTH — When the name of William M. Pinney, Jr. was announced by board president Mary Ellen Hawes Lees last Thursday night as the winner of this year’s George G. Haydock Award at the Lloyd Center for the Environment’s Annual Meeting, held at the Dartmouth Grange Hall, the audience erupted with an enthusiastic roar of approval and applause. 

Dartmouth, MA – The Alces Foundation, Grimshaw-Gudewicz Charitable Foundation, The Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust, and the Rodgers Family Foundation have awarded the Lloyd Center for the Environment $28,000 in grants to support its Science Curriculum Reform and Development Initiative in the Fall River public schools. 

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. - Know your risk factors of stroke and how it can be prevented, identify how to recognize the signs and symptoms and how to minimize the effects of stroke by acting FAST. During the months of May and June, Southcoast Hospitals Group will be sending out free recipes, bilingual tip cards and magnets to help you live a healthy lifestyle.

The Grand Jury investigation into the April 4, 2008 fatal stabbing of 30-year-old Joshua Fitzgerald and the non-fatal stabbings of Patrick Fitzgerald, 25, and Robert Williams, 35, has been completed. The incident occurred outside the VFW in Fairhaven during a hip hop show.

New Bedford, Massachusetts-The Downtown New Bedford Business District will grow again this week with the grand opening of a full-service florist shop on Purchase Street.  Ana Grochmal, proprietor of “The White Bouquet,” a successful florist shop previously established in South Dartmouth has relocated her business to a Downtown New Bedford storefront at 763 Purchase Street.  The White Bouquet is a full service florist shop that provides services for weddings and all special occasions.

It’s ten o’clock at night and you’ve had a busy day.  You’re brushing your teeth to go to bed and you notice that you’re drooling a little out of the right side of your mouth.  You wipe it away and find that it feels a little numb… just like at the dentist.  But you haven’t been to the dentist.  You reach for the glass of rinse water and it slips from your hand.  You check yourself.  Your hand is numb and apparently weaker than it should be.  You don’t know what to think.  This has never happened before.  What should you do?

NEW BEDFORD, MA – The Candleworks Restaurant, located at 72 North Water Street in New Bedford will be closed the week of Memorial Day for a mini facelift - New owner Jared Morgado is updating the look and enhancing the feel of the beloved establishment.

Come explore the countryside this summer, off the beaten track in the original SouthCoast Open Studio Tour.  44 Artists in SouthCoast RI and MA are again opening their studios to the public for the weekend of August 23rd & 24th for their 4th annual summer Tour from 11am to 5pm each day. The Tour runs through Tiverton, Little Compton, Westport, and Dartmouth and includes individual artist studios and galleries along the way.  Admission is free to all studios.  Information and maps are available through our website www.openstudiomap.com and from Amy C. Lund, Handweaver Studio & Gallery, (401)816-0000, 3879 Main Road, Tiverton, RI 02878.

New Bedford, MA - The New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce, the Massachusetts Community Development Finance Corporation (CDFC), and the Affirmative Market Program (AMP) have teamed up to host a special training workshop for minority and women-owned businesses (M/WBES) on the state’s procurement process and how to maximize their M/WBE certification status.

North Dartmouth, MA - Ray Suarez, the senior correspondent for The NewsHour, who has spent more than a quarter century in journalism covering local, national, and international stories, will address UMass Dartmouth's 2008 undergraduate commencement exercises.

New Bedford, MA - If you had to close your business because of a natural or human-caused disaster, how prepared would you be to maintain contact with your employees, customers, vendors and others to do whatever it takes to get back in business as soon as possible?  What if equipment or machinery that you rely on were severely damaged?  What if you lost critical information or vital records, essential to the continuation of your business?  Would you lose market share and damage your reputation?  According to the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), at least one-fourth of all businesses that close because of a disaster never reopen. 

New Bedford, Massachusetts- Today, Mayor Scott W. Lang and Lafrance Hospitality Co., announced that the proposed downtown waterfront hotel has cleared another major hurdle; Lafrance Hospitality has received approval from the Marriott Corporation to establish a Marriott Fairfield Inn and Suites in New Bedford.  The franchise approval allows the developer, Lafrance Hospitality, to progress to the next stage of the multi-million dollar waterfront project.

BankFive has made a $10,000 grant to the YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts for its capital campaign for a much-needed building addition. Marilyn Hopkins, First Vice President of BankFive and a member of the YWCA’s campaign steering committee stated, “BankFive is proud to make this grant to the YWCA. In this economic environment it is especially important to continue to grow this facility to accommodate the increasing needs of the communities this YWCA serves.”  Maria Pinarreta, BankFive’s Vice President for Branch Administration also serves on this committee.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. - St. Luke’s Hospital today unveiled a new location for patients and their families to find tranquility and stop for reflection during a hospital visit. The Shapiro Healing Garden was made possible by a generous donation by Dr. Gilbert and Frima “Timmy” Shapiro.

New Bedford, MA – May 5, 2008 – The New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce and BankFive would like to recognize the achievements made by smaller businesses in the creation of jobs and economic opportunities throughout the SouthCoast region. The issues and concerns of small businesses are essential components of Chamber initiatives, and the success of our member programs is dependent on the involvement of local professionals.

NEW BEDFORD, MA - Charlotte Jones’s highly acclaimed adult comedy Humble Boy, an intelligent, funny and touching play, and the final major production of Your Theatre, Inc.’s 61st Season opens on May 7 for a nine performance run. 

The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office and New Bedford Police Department have concluded their investigation into the deaths of two fishermen who died on January 22, 2008.  This joint investigation has determined that the cause and manner of deaths of both fishermen were the result of accidental drowning.

New Bedford, Massachusetts - Weston Associates, Inc., a Boston-based real estate firm signed an agreement to acquire the site of the former “Keystone Building” a significant piece of downtown New Bedford real estate, located on Union Street between Purchase and Pleasant Streets.  Weston Associates, Inc., signed the purchase and sale agreement earlier this week with property owner, Dennis Keohane. 

United Way of Greater New Bedford, the YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts and Leadership SouthCoast are teaming up to address the need for increased participation and diversity on the Boards of Directors of local nonprofit organizations through a new online database tool.

The YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s Women’s Resource Center and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) invites women to participate in a program on Tuesday, May 6th to help close the wage gap between women and men at work. 

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The Southcoast Health Van provides free education and screenings for the community addressing cardiac disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. It also serves as an off-site blood donation center for the Southcoast Blood Bank.

April 22, 2008 – Dartmouth and Westport artists have teamed up to start a new open studio weekend event that emphasizes educating their visitors, in real-life environments by demonstrating their skills, one artist, at one studio, at one time.  Consisting of some of the area’s premiere painters, ceramic artists, photographers, jewelers and others, the ART drive emphasize a consistent level of professionalism and quality with some unusual studio venues that are spotted among the area’s coastal villages, lovely farm lands, and seacoast.  Taking place on the weekend of August 16 and 17, the ART drive artists will donate a percentage of their sales to The Lloyd Center for the Environment.

New Bedford, Massachusetts - The public is invited to attend a civic meeting regarding the status of work and sampling at New Bedford High School and the ongoing monitoring at the Keith Middle School.  The meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 30th, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. at the Keith Middle School, located at 225 Hathaway Boulevard in New Bedford. 

“Romeo and Juliet,” one of the most romantic ballets in classical repertoire, will be performed by the acclaimed St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre leaps its way onto the Zeiterion Stage on Saturday, May 3 2008 at 8pm.

North Dartmouth, MA- UMass Dartmouth has launched myAlert, a new emergency notification system that will instantly transmit a text or voice message to the cell phones of students, faculty and staff in the event of a major emergency.

Dartmouth and Westport artists have teamed up to start a new open studio weekend event that emphasizes educating their visitors, in real-life environments by demonstrating their skills, one artist, at one studio, at one time.  Consisting of some of the area’s premiere painters, ceramic artists, photographers, jewelers and others, the ART drive emphasize a consistent level of professionalism and quality with some unusual studio venues that are spotted among the area’s coastal villages, lovely farm lands, and seacoast.  Taking place on the weekend of August 16 and 17, the ART drive artists will donate a percentage of their sales to The Lloyd Center for the Environment.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth commemorated 25 years of excellence in education and service of its Medical Laboratory Science Department, highlighting partnerships with area hospitals and bio-tech companies,  including Abbott Laboratories, which donated a $150,000 laboratory device to the department last fall.

Be inspired by the "Changing Facade" of a cultural city. Explore the new faces and places of the downtown landscape. This forth year of the Changing Facade May AHA! night highlights the new and expanded businesses of the past year, young entrepreneurs and innovative artists, and exciting programs offered by the AHA! partner venues.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- This spring, the South End Youth Athletic Association (SEYAA) will celebrate 50 years of providing organized youth baseball programming to the children in the New Bedford community.  In celebration of the league’s five decades of teaching the fundamentals of the game of baseball to New Bedford children, the SEYAA 50th Anniversary Committee has special festivities planned for “Opening Day 2008,” on April 27, 2008.  Since its inception in 1958, the league has grown substantially from the initial six teams and now includes 8 Bronco teams (11-12 year olds), 10 Mustang teams (9-10 year olds), and 10 Pinto teams (6, 7 & 8 year olds).

With summer just around the corner many local youth are gearing up for warm months filled with outdoor activities and time with family and friends.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for thousands of other children who lack the financial means necessary to access quality summer programs.

The Veterans Transition House Honor Guard has been invited to participate in the 233rd Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington parade. This year’s theme for the parade is “Lexington…It Began Here, April 19, 1775.”

New Bedford, Massachusetts- After city officials learned federal monies awarded to New Bedford for the Fishermen’s Safety Training Program had been fully expended, the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission came forward with the necessary funds to support the next round of safety training to continue the critical program.  Since its establishment in 2005, the Fishermen’s Safety Training Program has taught more than 850 enrollees essential safety procedures including firefighting, emergency communications, damage control, life raft use, emergency flares, immersion suit use, and helicopter hoist procedures.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- On Thursday, April 3, 2008, Governor Deval Patrick and the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Division of Banks awarded cities and non-profit agencies across the Commonwealth a total of $2 million to support foreclosure prevention education and assistance.  The New Bedford Office of Housing & Community Development was awarded a $150,000 grant for the development of a Regional Foreclosure Education Center that would centralize foreclosure prevention efforts and offer counseling and loan programs for homeowners affected by the current mortgage crisis. 

The  Center for Marketing Research was activated in 1999 and initially named the Center for Business Research, later adopting its present name, Center for Marketing Research. The appointing authorities asked Dr. Nora Ganim Barnes to create a Center that served the needs of the University, its students, the business community, and residents of southeastern Massachusetts.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, the South Coast Business Alliance will be holding their 2nd Annual Dos de Mayo networking event.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit United Way of Greater New Bedford. 

New Bedford, MA — Is stress impeding your productivity at work? Is work interfering with your personal relationships? If so, don’t despair! There are solutions, and they can be found at the Sixth Annual SouthCoast Women’s Forum to be held at Rachel’s Lakeside, 950 State Road (Rte. 6), N. Dartmouth, on Tuesday, April 29th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

New Bedford, MA — Who is the best mentor you ever knew? Who has taught you the most about leadership? Years ago, Michelle Yozzo Drake asked herself those very questions. As she searched for the best examples of leadership, she discovered the answer right in front of her: it was Mom! 

Come and meet Scott at a fundraising event that will be taking place on Thursday, June 5th 2008 from 6 PM till 8 PM at the Wamsutta Club in New Bedford.

NEW BEDFORD, MA – The UMass Dartmouth Ceramics Club welcomes Penn State University Professor Chris Staley to the UMass Dartmouth Star Store on Wednesday, April 16, 2008, for a lecture and presentation of his work.

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. - Southcoast Home Care, Hospice & Palliative Care & Infusion Services was recently recognized by Masspro, the Medicare quality improvement organization for Massachusetts, for significantly reducing the number of home care patients who need to be readmitted to a hospital over a 30-day period.

New Bedford, Massachusetts - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded an $83,000 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) to New Bedford Emergency Medical Services.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- Mayor Scott W. Lang held a press conference today to announce that the Office of the Board of Elections has been designated an official passport acceptance facility and now accepts passport applications on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. 

During this election season, the significance of a candidate’s voice is both literal and figurative. The race for the White House reminds us that one single voice can influence a nation and change the course of history. It is with this spirit that Northeast Ear Nose and Throat and ENT physicians throughout the South Coast region and the country celebrated World Voice Day on April 16. The theme this year was “Let Your Voice Be Heard.”

North Dartmouth, MA -  Senator Joan Menard (D-Fall River) and Representative Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport) are pleased to announce that the UMass Dartmouth Advanced Technology & Manufacturing Center (ATMC) located on Martine Streetin Fall River has received a $250,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's Renewable Energy Trust Fund. The grant has been awarded as a result of the ATMC's proposal to establish a Marine Renewable Energy Center (MREC) in a collaborative effort with officials in Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.  The Center's goal is to accelerate the use and commercialization of marine renewable energy technologies.

North Dartmouth, MA- The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Tobias S. Monte, will present a free concert on Wednesday, April 30, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Campus Center's main auditorium.

The last week in March saw two ground-breaking meetings in New Bedford underscore a common message: Working together, we can make our cities safer places to live and work...