The South Coast Insider - February 2009

February 2009 / Vol. 13 / No. 2

coastalmags.com

LOVE IS IN THE AIR WEDDING TIPS

Budget ideas N Tips from a groom N Wedding planner plights N

PLAN SUMMER LEARNING NOW HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY SIXTH GRADE READERS’ REFLECT

WINE NOTES

Wedding wines to drink or give

FEBUARY FACTS, FEASTS AND FUN HAPPENINGS YOU’LL JUST LOVE

Thanks St. Anne’s!

Now I can afford my daughter’s braces.

We make home equity financing for the important things in life both easy and affordable.

How can St. Anne’s help you?

ST. ANNE’S CREDIT UNION O F FA L L R I V E R

“We’re making a difference.�

www.stannes.com

Federally insured by NCUA

We’re seeing Portsmouth from a different angle.

CT scan

Newport Hospital is bringing to Portsmouth the highest

Digital mammography

quality medical imaging technologies and board-certified

Open-ended MRI

radiologists, for the clearest images and most accurate

Ultrasound

results possible.

X-ray

Our Portsmouth Imaging Center offers earlyand late hours, plenty of free parking, and a friendly staff. The Turnpike Avenue location is close by and has fast access to both Route 24 and the Mount Hope Bridge, so it couldn’t be more convenient.

PORTSMOUTH IMAGING CENTER

Call 401-683-7410, or stop by to see the new facility, and schedule your appointment while you’re there.

FEBRUARY 2009

CONTENTS IN EVERY ISSUE

FEBRUARY FACTS

REGIONAL NEWS

3

10

34

6

From the publisher

On my mind: Looking back on 2008

by Paul Kandarian

12

February fasts and feasts

by Elizabeth Morse Read

A second look at the second month

by Stan Epstein

32

Book picks: Love books about love

Meet a planner

by Stephen Smith

FLASH

21

READER REFLECTIONS

Bridal show at Fall River Country Club

compiled by Magoo Gelerhter

COVER STORY

16 18

Weddings on a budget

by Stacie Charbonneau Hess

Money-saving tips from the groom

8

What is love?

by Students at Talbot and Morton middle schools

22

26

Plan summer learning now

by Bob Ekstrom

FOOD NOTES

14

28 Cake chat by BCC chef

Audubon adventures await

by Bob Ekstrom

by Brian Lowney

36

by Mark Hess

19

THINGS TO DO

Celebrate Carnaval at the Z

WELLNESS

Lex Diamond shines

by Cara Connelly Pimental

24

Celebrate your love

by Dr. Christa Johnson

38

Happenings: Things you’ll love to do

Tales of tragic couples

by Raleigh Dugal

WINE NOTES

23

Picking wedding flowers

by Brian Lowney

30

Wedding wines and gifts

by Alton Long

ON THE COVER Sometimes less is more. In this issue, our writers show how true this is for Valentine’s Day and for weddings. Our advertisers offer their professional help.

2

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

FROM THE PUBLISHER February 2009 / Vol. 13 / No. 2 Published by

Coastal Communications Corp.

Cold and cranky? Aren’t we all, at least at moments? But it’s February, so accept the chill, and turn your thoughts to some-

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Ljiljana Vasiljevic

thing warm, like love.

Editors

This month, thanks partly to the florist and card companies, and

Joe Murphy Michael J. Vieira, Ph.D.

mostly to us, because at this time of year, “all we need is Love,” St. Valentine gets the star treatment.

Contributors

Stacie Charbonneau Hess, Raleigh Dugal, Bob Ekstrom, Stan Epstein, Mark Hess, Dr. Christa Johnson, Paul Kandarian, Alton L. Long, Tom Lopes, Brian Lowney, Cara Connelly Pimental, Elizabeth Morse Read, and Stephen Smith

To get a fresh perspective on love, we asked some teachers to see what their sixth graders thought about the subject. Enjoy their Reader Reflections. Elizabeth Morse Read and Stan Epstein both share some legends, celebrations and facts about February.

The South Coast Insider is published monthly for visitors and residents of the South Coast area.

The Insider is distributed free of charge from Mount Hope Bay to Buzzards Bay. All contents copyright ©2009 Coastal Communications Corp.

When we talk about love, many people think about marriage. This issue provides some great resources and ideas about that special day. Brian Lowney offers both a chat with BCC chef Gloria Cabral about cakes and guide to picking flowers. Recent bride Stacie Charbonneau Hess and her groom Mark offer some ways to stay under budget.

Deadline

20 days prior to publication.

And there’s more. Find things to do in our Happenings section— with a special look at

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, by any means, without written permission from the Publisher. All information contained herein is believed to be reliable. Coastal Communications Corp. does not assume any financial responsibility for typographical errors in advertisements, but will reprint that portion of an advertisement in which the typographical error occurs.

the Zeiterion’s Carnaval plans, wines for weddings, gifts, or sipping, and a look ahead

Circulation

30,000

at educational opportunities for the summer.

Don’t forget to visit www.coastalmags.com to sign up for weekly updates, to discover things made in the South Coast, or to voice your opinion and share your thoughts.

We also hope you’ll support our advertisers and explore www.SouthCoastGo.com, our free online classifieds. You’ll love them both as much as we do.

Subscriptions

$25 per year Mailing Address

The South Coast Insider 0URCHASE 3TREET s 0/ "OX Fall River, MA 02722

Ljiljana Vasiljevic Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Tel: (508) 677-3000 Fax: (508) 676-7000 Website

http://www.coastalmags.com E-mail

editor@coastalmags.com

Start your dining quest...

Our advertisers make this publication possible – please support them

visit www.TheSouthCoastInsider.com/dining

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

3

We’r e you r community b

we d n a a nk

couldn’t be prou

der.

Thank you for voting us the area’s BEST bank.

BankFive is proud to be the SouthCoast’s premier community bank. We work hard every day providing the highest level of service and competitive products to meet the financial needs of our customers. As a member of both the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF), BankFive provides full insurance for our customers’ deposits. That means 100% of your deposits are safe and secure.

.

#

ÂŽ

"

Member FDIC. Member DIF.

Do you have

Exercise Induced Asthma?

If you are 18 to 55 years old, non-smoker with exercised induced asthma, you may qualify to participate in a clinical research study for mild asthmatics.

Qualified participants will receive study-related medication, study related exams at no cost Call today for more information at

508-992-7595.

Compensation for time and travel is available.

4

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

Combine your auto and home insurance for maximum discount

Equal Housing Lender.

The future of cancer care is here.

New image-guided radiation therapy.

Our Hudner Oncology Center continues to expand its reputation for providing next-generation cancer care to patients in their local communities. We now have a powerful new weapon in the fight against cancer: image-guided radiation therapy, an advanced technology that enables tumors to be treated with much greater precision and effectiveness. Our experienced radiation oncologists are also on staff at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham & Women’s Hospital and the faculty of Harvard Medical School.

It’s more proof that the best cancer care is the closest.

For more information, call our Director of Oncology Services at 508-235-5608.

Saint Anne’s Hospital

795 Middle Street, Fall River, MA 02721

www.CaritasChristi.org

ON MY MIND

The madhouse that was 2008

by Paul E. Kandarian

OK, BARACKEMUP, ALL YOU OBAMANIACS, the time has come! In

gets sober, gets stoned, gets straight, gets in trouble with the law,

2009, the man who won the race for the most powerful job in the

gets out of trouble with the law, gets her kids taken away, gets her

world (no, not the guy who signs the bail-out checks for multi-bil-

kids back, gets on TV for all the wrong reasons, gets back on stage

lion dollar businesses), is ready to lead us forward, so what better

for lord knows what reasons, and generally gets under the skin of

time than to take a look back at the year that was.

anyone with a brain who wonders just what her original talent ever

2008, of course, will be remembered as the year when the man we thought was the dumbest high-profile American ever— George Duh-ble U Bush—got out-dumbed by someone at least cuter— Sarah “Wow, Russia is so like right there! ” Palin.

Presidential politics ruled, so let’s take a look at some of those highlights and others from a year many of us are still writing on our checks.

In February, Mass. Gov. Nitt-Witt Mitt Romney (Adjustable Republican, Pretty Boy Party) announces that he will keep battling Sen. John McCain for the GOP nomination “until the convention.”

Apparently, Romney suffers a brain cramp and forgets when that is because just two days later, he drops out of a race that was pretty much confined to him and McCain bashing each other’s brains in.

Shortly after dropping out, Romney kisses and makes up with McCain, and the two are seen sitting around a campfire, holding hands, making s’mores and singing “Cumbaya.” Sarah Palin watches on TV and wonders where Cindy McCain shops.

In August, Palin is chosen as McCain’s vice presidential running mate. Romney grumbles that he’s been dissed. He immediately wonders what ‘dissed’ means, and sends an aide out into the street to find out.

In September, vice presidential candidate Palin reveals she’s qualified in matters of foreign policy because she can, in fact, see Russia from Alaska. Nikita Khrushchev does back flips in his grave, banging his casket with his shoe and screaming, “Ratz! If she vas governor in my day, ve could’ve invaded so damned easily!”

All year, Britney Spears gets drunk, 6

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

was beyond screwing up what appeared to be a pretty good life.

And that category would include North Carolina Senator John Edwards who in August scuttles what was destined to be a bright political future by admitting cheating on his wife—who is in remission from breast cancer— in the middle of running for president.

Edwards is comforted in a phone call from former President Bill “The Only Thing I Can Keep in My Pants are Someone Else’s Hands� Clinton, who says, “Buddy, you gotta wait until you’re actually in the White house for that stuff, OK?�

Along those tawdry lines, in March, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer gets his hand caught in the hookie jar when it is revealed he is involved in a sex ring. Clinton phones his congratulations.

In October, news breaks that Sarah Palin has spent more money on her wardrobe than it would cost to buy a three-bedroom home in Wasilla, Alaska. She defends the actions, saying “Well, ya know, gee, I gotta look good for those Ruskies lookin’ over from Russia Land, gotta make a good impression!� all of which makes Tina Fey thank the comedy gods for making her life so easy lately.

Meanwhile, Alaskan relic Senator Ted “I’m Almost twice as Old as

The Rhodes to the retirement you want.

Expert Retirement Planning.

Call Kathie Rhodes.

Now more than ever before, it makes sense to turn to Kathie Rhodes for your retirement planning.

Kathie has 30 years of experience as a retirement specialist in the South Coast community.

You can trust her to explain the options and help you set a retirement strategy.

Give Kathie a call today. She’ll put you on the right road to the retirement you’ve always wanted.

the State I Represent!� Stevens grumbles that the tens of thousands of dollars he took in home renovations and gifts pales in comparison to what Palin spent on clothes.

Stevens is, of course, the proponent of the much-decried

FALL RIVER ~ NEW BEDFORD ~ SOMERSET ~ SWANSEA SEEKONK ~ TIVERTON

508-742-4712 Kathie Rhodes’ direct line www.citizensunionbank.com

;GK7B >EKI?D=

B[dZ[h

Member FDIC Member DIF

$223-million “bridge to nowhere� in Alaska, leading Palin to say “Dang, we shoulda built that puppy to Russia, betcha they got some good shopping bargains there, eh?�

In October, it is revealed that Joe the Plumber is not actually a plumber, because at no time during any public appearance did his butt crack show.

In December, embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich defiantly proclaims to the state legislature, “If you can accurately pronounce

“Where we come together with our community.�

my name, I’ll resign!� He remains in office.

O.J. Simpson, in a blatant run at George Bush’s title for dumbest high-profile American, is convicted and imprisoned for armed robbery and kidnapping after he tried to steal back memorabilia he says was stolen from him, a tactic that flies in the face of the “Leave well enough alone� concept. Simpson issues a statement from jail, saying “I hope you’re all happy, now I can’t go on searching for my wife’s killer.�

The conversation starts here.

ig^c^ingZe#Xdb ) ( ' & ) ( '

& &

Caroline Kennedy announces she wants the U.S. Senate seat in New York being vacated by Hilary Clinton. She refuses to say why she’s qualified, invoking the Kennedy doctrine of being too far above accountability for that nonsense.

Faced with the prospect of returning to the White House riding on Hilary’s Secretary of State coattails, Bill Clinton is seen eyeballing the list of new interns and rubbing his hands gleefully.

ON STAGE: NOW ďšť MARCH 8

A Raisin in the Sun

Tickets start at $10!

Happy New Year, folks. Best of luck to us all.

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

7

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, sometimes Tina Turner seems to have the best question. “What’s love got to do with it?” To try to get back in touch with the true meaning of the holiday, we turned to some Fall River sixth graders.

Matt from Morton Middle School set us straight.

“Adults think that love for a sixth grader means boyfriends and girlfriends.

Love for us is like our family and friends and all the things that we really enjoy doing. Yes, by sixth grade, boys like girls and girls like boys, but that’s it. Valentine’s Day, adults think, is for boyfriend and girlfriend/wife and husband, but it’s not that either. It’s a day that really represents love,” he said.

He wasn’t alone in understanding that Valentine’s Day—and love itself— is more than cards, flowers, and candy.

Caring Love is giving and caring for people.

Love is when feel like you want to spend the rest of your life with a person, and that person is beautiful in every way to you.

Evan, Talbot Middle School

Richard, Talbot Middle School Love is when you care for somebody and help that person whenever they need it.

Love is when people care about and trust each other.

Jazmin, Talbot Middle School

Angel, Talbot Middle School If you truly love someone, you love them because of who they are and not what they look like. You can feel their pain and sadness.

Love brings happiness to you and others, just like a flower blooms when water is added. Love is like the water.

Nicolas, Morton Middle School

Courtney, Morton Middle School I think love is when you really care about someone and want to know them for your whole life.

Alyssa, Talbot Middle School

Family Love to me is celebrating and letting my family know I love them.

Darren, Morton Middle School

What love means to me is caring for a person and always being there for them even if they are at their worst.

Alexi, Morton Middle School

8

What love is to me is my Vo. I love her to death. She always says, “When I die, you will remember this.” Every time she says that I start to cry. We make Portuguese soup together, and biscoits and malassadas. Then she will put on some Portuguese

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

music and we will put flour on each other and dance around. Also, when she makes her famous dish, chourico and peppers, she usually makes it because it is my favorite. She loves me and I love her. She is my everything.

Ethan, Morton Middle School Love would be to be cared for and to have someone who will always be there when I need them the most. Valentine’s Day is being with my family and being thankful for what we have.

Samantha, Morton Middle School Being with my family feels like love because just knowing that your family is there for you feels great.

Kylie, Morton Middle School

Feelings Love is a special feeling you have for someone. It fills your heart with joy and gives you a reason to live.

Ryan, Morton Middle School Love is when two people complete each other.

Alex, Talbot Middle School True love is when you see a person and you get butterflies in your stomach. True love is a person you always think about night and day.

Keegan, Morton Middle School Love is when you look at someone and your heart skips a beat and your words are replaced by pure feelings.

Mateus, Talbot Middle School

What is love? Love is a beautiful feeling with passion and feelings and beauty and kindness.

Brennah, Morton Middle School

We make custom sizes for your Antique Pieces.

What love means to me is being with someone special who thinks you’re special too.

Evan, Morton Middle School Love is that fuzzy feeling inside when you are close to a loved one.

Caleb, Morton Middle School

Every day Love is respect.

Aaron, Talbot Middle School Love is when you always put your best foot forward.

Bobby, Talbot Middle School Love is unconditional. Like me and my mother, we fight. But no matter what we said, we both feel bad, so immediately we make up. Here are some examples of love: wanting the other person to be happy even if you are not, being kind to them, making breakfast for each other, and enjoying each other’s company. That is what I think love is to me.

Shelby, Morton Middle School Love is when people are always honest with each other.

Austin, Talbot Middle School Love is just a four-letter word.

Luxurious Bedding at Factory Pricing

We’ve Moved!

1 Ace Street Fall River

We carry all types of innerspring, Visco Elastic Latex and specialty bedding

FREE delivery FREE setup FREE removal of old bedding

Mon-Fri 9-5 • Sat 9-12 • 1 Ace Street, Fall River, MA 77 Weaver St., Fall River

508-675-6921

“Sleep in Comfort at a Price You Can Afford”

We know what makes you tick.

You’d expect Southcoast’s open heart surgery and angioplasty teams to be experts in heart care. They’re also experts in “up-close-and-personal-really-get-toknow-you” care. Learn about their outstanding quality at www.southcoast.org/heart.

Heart Surgery at Southcoast.

Big city heart care. Without the hassle.

SOUTHCOAST HOSPITALS

CHARLTON

&

ST. LUKE’S

&

TOBEY

Bob, Talbot Middle School S O U T H E A S T E R N

Love is a gift for people. It is special.

Alexander, Morton Middle School Special thanks to sixth grade teachers Priscilla Poirier from Talbot Middle School and Audrey Vieira from Morton Middle School in Fall River, not only for their help with getting these quotes from their students but also for the important work that they do every day in their classrooms. They, and their colleagues in the South Coast classrooms, demonstrate unconditional love every day.

M A S S .

H E A L T H

A N D

R E H A B

Make our house your home…

Join our blue ribbon team in providing excellence in care.

We have all shifts open for RN’s/LPN’s !CUSHNET !VENUE s .EW "EDFORD -!

C O N TAC T L O R I L AVA L L E AT 5 0 8 . 9 8 5 . 2 4 0 3 F O R A N I N T E R V I E W The South Coast Insider / February 2009

9

FEBRUARY FACTS

A February Sampler February facts, feast & fun

By Elizabeth Morse Read

February may be short, brutish and cold, but it’s also a month of chocolate, roses and reaching out to those we love and respect. Here are some ways to make the most of February traditions—and start a few new ones!

All you need is love Remember those boxes of “secret admirer” Valentine cards you gave out at school? Bring back that custom and deliver a batch of “thinking of you” cards to hospices, nursing homes or homeless shelters. Remember, too, our veterans – send a Valentine’s Day card to: A Recovering American Soldier c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Ave. NW, Washington DC 20307-5001. And send heartfelt e-mails to all your friends around the world—let them know how much their friendship means to you!

Of chocolates and cherries February is traditionally the month of candy or red-fruit gifts. But why not start a new tradition by giving homemade cookies and cakes made with chocolate chips and cherries or cranberries? (see sidebar 2) And why not rediscover your fondue kit

10

and invite friends over for chocolate-dipped strawberries with champagne? If any of your loved ones or friends are dieting or diabetic, treat them to sugar-free candies or a bag of craisins.

Say it with flowers A dozen cut red roses is the quintessential (and very expensive) Valentine’s Day gift—but why not spend that money making arrangements of silk flowers or giving a flowering houseplant, a rosebush or red tulip bulbs that can be planted outside?

Say “thank you” to friends, customers, colleagues—even your children’s teachers —with a red silk rose!

February facts N

N N

N

N

N

The official flower of February is the violet, and the official gemstone is the amethyst, the purple form of quartz, much loved by royalty for centuries. In folklore, the amethyst was believed to ward off drunkenness, insomnia and mental instability. In mod ern times, it is the recommended gift for the 4th, 6th or 17th wedding anniversaries.

The astrological sign is Aquarius (to Feb. 19) and Pisces (from Feb. 20).

February is the shortest month (28 days in common years, 29 in leap year), and the only month of the year that may not have a full moon.

The name of the month goes back to pre-Roman purification rites (Februa). The English word “fever” (sweating) derives from that ancient tradition.

In pre-medieval England, the February period was known as “mud month” (sol-monath) or “cabbage-month (kale-monath).

February is also American Heart Month, National Dental Month, Chocolate Lover’s Month and National Bird Feeding Month.

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

Share somethin’ from the oven N

N

N

N

N

Warm up on cold February days with these holiday treats! Get everyone involved.

Carl J. Ferreira

Add “craisin” dried cranberries to chocolate chip cookie mix.

ND, CHNP, AMP

Naturopathic & Alternative Health Consultant

Celebrate “Presidents Day” by adding chopped maraschino cherries to coco nut macaroon cookies.

Immune System Evaluation Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis

Top sugar cookies with cherries or craisins, or decorate with red sprinkles / gel and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter

Gluten Sensitivity Analysis Saliva Testing / Metabolic Analysis Adrenal Stress / Adrenal Fatigue Analysis Individualized Nutrition & Supplement Counseling

Revisit holiday chocolate cake/quick bread recipes—add cherries (and juice!), cranberries, chopped nuts and/ or chocolate chips for a real February treat!

Survive the February vacation Unless your family traditionally goes skiing or on a tropical cruise, the February school vacation week can be a real nightmare for busy working parents. Plan ahead with family, friends and neighbors to make this a stress-free winter break for everyone.

Volunteer to babysit for a day of driving-tolessons/activities, feeding kids and pets in exchange for a weekend get-together potluck/fondue dinner. Pull out those boxes of old family photos and mementoes and start a scrapbook album. Gather the kids and make paper doily and construction paper decorations while baking “February” cookies. Pile the kids, cousins and friends in the car for an afternoon of ice-skating, sledding, bowling or going to the movies— or visit the many museums, science or art exhibits throughout the South Coast.

Celebrate Black History month With the inauguration of President Barack Obama, February’s designation as Black History Month takes on new significance, especially here on the South Coast, a major junction along the Underground Railroad before the Civil War. New Bedford was where the abolitionist crusader Frederick Douglass adopted his new surname.

Food Allergen Testing Hypothyroid Evaluations

1190 Stafford Rd. • Fall River, MA

(508) 679-4199

It was also home base for the Civil War’s all-black 54th Massachusetts Regiment immortalized in the movie Glory. One of the survivors of the 54th’s tragic assault on the Confederate South’s Fort Wagner, Sgt. William H. Carney of New Bedford, was the first African-American to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. And our country’s first racially-integrated public school was founded in Westport in the late 1700s by a free black, Paul Cuffee.

www.health-naturally.info Board Certified by the AAMA

Christine’s Academy of Dance BALLROOM GROUP CLASSES

Of feasting and fasting In 2009, Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday,” also known as “Shrove Tuesday”), falls on February 24, the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the 40+-day Lenten season of fasting, abstinence and repentance in western Christianity. Although New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are most famous for the riotous celebrations, parades, costumes and feasts of Mardi Gras, many people around the world observe this day with parties and noisemakers. Throw your own celebration with friends and family!

So ignore the cold and snow of the month —make it a time of hot chocolate, parties and love!

Learn two new dances each month!

FEATURED DANCE: February: Waltz / Cha Cha Beginner – Wednsday 7-8pm Intermediate – Wednesday 8-9pm Private lessons and vocal/piano lessons available…call to make your appointment.

Ballet • Tap • Jazz • Hip Hop Acrobatics • Irish Step • Pointe • Lyrical Modern • Ballroom • Birthday Parties

3 large dance rooms, music room, stage, store and large waiting room

218 Shove Street • Fall River, MA www.ChristinesAcademy.com

508-675-0029

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

11

The second month

by Stan Epstein

Poor February. Over the years it’s gotten a bum rap.

Too cold. Too cloudy. Too snowy. Still the dead of winter. It can’t even claim to be the beginning of the year.

Just missed it by one month.

12

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

Yet February has much to recommend it.

First, it’s the shortest month. Blink your eyes and it’s over. Well, maybe not that quick, but 28 days isn’t a long time. Also, we associate it with good things, like valentines, flower shows, the Super Bowl and the start of spring training. And it hosts a number of holidays, including Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Day and Mardi Gras.

According to Chase’s Calendar of Events, it also has a number of designations, from the sublime to the ridiculous. It’s American Heart Month (sponsored by the American Heart Association) and Black History Month. Then again, it’s also Sweet Potato Month, Spunky Old Broads Month, and Return Your Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month.

So much for monikers; back to the holidays Based on the ancient Roman Hedgehog Day and the medieval Candlemas Day, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Groundhog Day is considered a reliable weather forecaster. If the little varmint sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter. If not, Spring is near.

So what if it’s only right 39% of the time? It’s tradition!

The modern ritual started in Punxsutawney in 1886, and continued as a private ceremony until 1966. Now it’s recognized around the world, and about 35,000 visitors come to the small town about 90 miles northeast of Pittsburgh on February 2, to get Punxsutawney Phil’s verdict firsthand. The crowds used to be a lot smaller, but the 1993 movie, Groundhog Day, doubled as a great advertisement.

Early in the morning, the town fathers coax the critter out of its burrow, and by 7:30 AM, its prognostication is known. But 39% accuracy is not very reassuring. Best bet—if the groundhog sees its shadow, it means six more weeks of winter. If not, figure 42 more days.

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”

– Elizabeth Barrett Browning Nobody knows exactly where or when St. Valentine’s Day began.

Some say that it stems from the medieval belief that birds choose their mates on that day. Others trace it to the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, often linked with fertility.

Probably the most popular legend regards a Roman priest named Valentine, who lived in the third century. It’s a tragically romantic tale.

The Roman Emperor Claudius forbid marriage for young men, believing that single men made better soldiers. Valentine flaunted the statute and secretly wed young couples. He was arrested and sentenced to death. While in prison, the cleric fell in love with his jailer’s blind daughter. Just before his scheduled execution, he handed her a note, reading “from your Valentine.”

According to folklore, Valentine was beheaded on February 14, 269 A.D. Two hundred years later, Pope Gelasius I decreed the date St. Valentine’s Day. For whatever reason, it took another thousand years for the concept to catch on. The first recorded Valentine notes were written in

the 15th century. The observance spread throughout Europe, eventually working its way to America. In other countries, the sentiment’s the same, but the dates are sometimes different.

Retail cards have since replaced handwritten notes, and jewelry and romantic restaurant dinners have become a staple. But the language of flowers and chocolate retains its universal appeal, and words never go out of style. As Colombian native Juliana Zamorano says, “This is the perfect day to say all those sweet things that are so hard to communicate during the rest of the year.”

President’s Day Once known as Washington’s Birthday, and celebrated on our first president’s birthday, February 22, the holiday is now widely known as Presidents’ Day, and celebrated on the third Monday of the month.

Other things have changed too. Once it was known as a day for parades and patriotic ceremonies; today it’s known as a day off for students and most workers, and a day for retail sales (particularly cars). The only serious reflection that takes place is deciding whether to buy a Honda or Hyundai.

While never observed as a federal holiday, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, on February 12, was also observed by many states on his birthday. While once a day to honor the president who preserved the union and freed the slaves, it’s now a heads up that there are only two more shopping days until Valentine’s Day. This year, Presidents’ Day (also acceptable without the apostrophe) will be observed on Monday, February 16. There was once a push in Congress to officially honor the two great leaders on President’s Day, but like most everything else that Congress tries, it failed. While technically the day still honors Washington only, traditionally the day has come to honor both men—or in some cases, all American presidents. Is that clear?

In Massachusetts, an annual Presidents’ Day proclamation also honors chief executives from this state, specifically John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Calvin Coolidge, and John F. Kennedy. Actually Coolidge was born in Vermont, but was Governor of Massachusetts, so he counts.

George H.W. Bush was born in Milton, outside of Boston, but as a young child, moved out of state, so he doesn’t count. Got it? Moving right along…

Is your New Year’s resolution to find a good job with a great company?

Well, look no further!

Gold Medal Bakery, a state-of-the-art, family-owned commercial bakery in business for almost 100 years, produces private label bakery goods of bread, rolls, and English muffins.

Gold Medal is now accepting applications for full/part-time positions for:

Machine Operators and Sanitation Cleaning Staff Earn a minimum of $12.60 per hour (Full-time positions range from $16.97 - $19.79 after training) Learn new skills in a clean, safe “fast-paced” work environment. ÊiÝ«iÀ i ViÊ iViÃÃ>ÀÞÊUÊ ÕÃÌÊLiÊ>ÌÊ i>ÃÌÊ£nÊÞi>ÀÃÊ ` ÕÃÌÊLiÊÜ }ÊÌ ÊÜ À Ê } ÌÃ]ÊÜii i `Ã]Ê> `Ê `>Þà Apply in person: (Mon-Fri 8:00am–4:30pm; Sat 8:00am-12 noon) at Gold Medal Bakery, 21 Penn Street, Fall River, MA or e-mail us at gmbapp@goldmedalbakery.com for an application. No phone calls or resumés please.

Mardi Gras For people who think the purpose of all holidays is to party, this is your baby. Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday” in French, but it’s formally known as Shrove Tuesday. That’s about the only thing that’s formal about the day. The web site, infoplease.com, calls it the “feast before the fast,” noting that “it’s the last day for Catholics to indulge—and often overindulge—before Ash Wednesday starts the sober weeks of fasting that come with Lent.”

Although it’s long been celebrated in Europe, its roots in this country can be traced to the French settlers who migrated to New Orleans, and started the famous masked balls and extravagant parades. While celebrations are held throughout the country, party central is still the Crescent City. This year the celebration began on January 6, Twelth Night, and the holiday is February 24.

So come early and stay late. The only goal of this holiday is to have fun. Unlike Presidents’ Day, there’s nothing ambiguous about that.

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

13

Perfect wedding cakes Lessons from a BCC chef

by Brian J. Lowney

“THE WEDDING CAKE is the last thing the guests see—the last the thing they eat and the last thing they remember,” begins wedding cake expert Gloria Cabral, Assistant Professor of pastry arts at Bristol Community College in Fall River.

Whether it’s traditional or whimsical, a wedding cake should be a romantic reflection of the couple just married.

Chef Cabral says that while the cake is often one of many couple’s last considerations when planning a wedding reception, it should be given high priority. She suggests that prospective brides and grooms study wedding magazines, clip pictures of favorite designs, talk to bakers and wedding planners, and study trends.

The noted pastry chef reveals that television specials on Food Network and other channels that highlight weddings and gala receptions are also good sources of ideas.

“Look at what’s happening in New York and elsewhere,” Chef Cabral continues, adding that many wedding cake designs created by leading confectioners can be replicated on a smaller scale or modified to suit individual tastes and budgets.

“If it looks good, it tastes good,” she observes.

“It’s a nice ending to a good meal.”

Chef Cabral says that when it’s time to start thinking about the wedding cake, couples should

take into consideration how many guests will be invited to the reception, the event’s theme and color scheme, and how much money the pair has to spend on the special dessert.

Costly cakes Noting that an “average simple cake” usually costs about $7.50 a slice, Chef Cabral reveals that wedding cakes are priced according to the type of decorations, fillings, and number of servings.

The more elaborate the design and trimmings, the higher the cost of the cake.

The Chef says that even a simple cake can cost as much as $1,500.

For couples on a tight budget, Chef Cabral suggests purchasing a “dummy cake” made of Styrofoam, covered with fondant, a creamy, surgary covering, and decorated with delicate gum paste flowers to look like a real wedding cake. The couple takes the first slice out of a much smaller cake, such as an eight-inch round single layer decorated to resemble the dummy cake. Guests are then served slices of a sheet cake that can be cut in the restaurant kitchen in advance.

Dummy cakes, the chef adds, cost about $300, depending on the design.

Chef Cabral notes that other good sources of reasonably priced wedding cakes include supermarket bakeries, and the culinary arts department of local vocational-technical high schools and community colleges.

Save at BCC At Bristol Community College, Cabral teaches second– year pastry arts students how to design, bake and decorate wedding cakes. The chef says that the students prepare six or seven wedding cakes for local couples during the academic year, which runs from September to May. In addition, some students and graduates of the program have home-based businesses that specialize in wedding cakes.

14

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

“These cakes are all made from scratch, and made to order,” Chef Cabral adds. “The charge is reasonable, depending on the decorations.”

The busy confectioner adds that cake designs vary from the traditional to the avant-garde, and recalls that she once decorated a wedding cake with a ball and chain. The peanut butter and jelly filling was also a bit unusual and certainly gave the wedding guests something to long remember.

Most brides, Chef Cabral says, prefer delicate buttercream or gum paste roses and other flowers.

She adds that “food-friendly” organically grown flowers are also popular as decorations, as are artificial calla lilies.

“Simplicity is elegance,” the chef emphasizes.

What flavor?

Since chocolate is a popular flavor, some brides having autumn weddings opt to have their cake adorned with a cascade of chocolate leaves and colorful fall flowers.

Chef Cabral says that while vanilla is still the most popular flavor for wedding cakes, some couples want to start their marriage and satisfy their sweet tooth with a chocolate creation.

She adds that although raspberry, lemon, strawberry and chocolate fillings are widely accepted choices, couples can choose any flavor of filling provided that the ingredients are available and it will taste good.

Chef Cabral says that a growing trend is to end wedding receptions with a dessert buffet. Slices of wedding cake are offered, as are chocolate-dipped strawberries, chocolate mousse tortes, miniature cheesecakes, small eclairs and fruit tarts.

Want to see the chef in action? On April 4th she will host BCC’s Second Annual Cake Competition.

This year’s event will focus on creating Botanically Correct Flowers for students, novice and professionals. For high school students, the goal will be to create a cake for about eight kids at a birthday party for eight to ten year olds. Little decorators will be judged on how well they can create a pretty decorated cake.

For more information about the cake competition or about ordering a wedding cake from Bristol Community College’s pastry arts program, call Chef Gloria Cabral at (508) 678-2811, ext. 2940.

FURNITURE DISCOUNT CENTER SAVE ON QUALITY FURNITURE AT DISCOUNT PRICES Special purchases Factory specials Name brand furniture at discount prices Savings on quality mattress from Simmons and Therapedic You’ll get more furniture for your money, and save a lot at MODERN

PRESIDENT’S DAY SALE ™™Ê ivviĂ€ĂƒÂœÂ˜ĂŠ-ĂŒĂ€iiĂŒĂŠUĂŠ >Â?Â?ĂŠ,ÂˆĂ›iĂ€]ĂŠ ĂŠUĂŠxänÂ‡ĂˆĂ‡ĂˆÂ‡nә£ ÇnxĂŠ7iĂƒĂŒĂŠ >ÂˆÂ˜ĂŠ,Âœ>`ĂŠUĂŠ ˆ``Â?iĂŒÂœĂœÂ˜]ĂŠ, ĂŠUĂŠ{䣇n{£‡™{ää

SOFAS STARTING FROM $499

Indoor Walking Track

Yoga/Pilates/Zumba

Beginner Circuit

Aerobics Program

Basketball Court

Physical Therapy*

Best in Free Weights & Pinselect Equipment

Licensed Nutritionist*

Karate/Self Defense Classes* Huge Cardio Deck

Certified Personal Trainers* Senior & Beginner Programs

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 5am-9pm 3AT AM PM s 3UN AM PM

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

15

PLAN THE WEDDING OF YOUR DREAMS AND STAY WITHIN BUDGET

by Stacie Charbonneau Hess

I’M NOT EXACTLY AN EXPERT on the subject.

I mean, a wedding coordinator seemed so extravagant at the time. Instead of hiring one, my fiancée and I decided to do everything ourselves.

It came with a price, all that DIY stuff.

My husband actually schlepped all of our belongings into his pickup truck at the close of the reception, wearing his rental tuxedo shoes. I was busy making sure my… ahem…slightly inebriated bridal party made it into the limo without falling on their bottoms in the snow.

I don’t feel like a wedding coordinator would have solved all of the little issues of the evening, but he/she sure would have been a helpful, sane voice and a pair of helping hands, because you just can’t anticipate all the things that you might need and all the things that just don’t go according to plan.

My number one tip then, for saving money, seems to be the opposite: hire a wedding coordinator, if only for the actual day of the wedding. If I had to do it all over again, this is what I would do.

But if you are a bit of a control freak, like me, you may think: I want it to be special, I want to plan my own wedding. I don’t need to pay anyone to help me. If this is you, ignore my first bit of advice, and read on.

But don’t say I didn’t tell you so.

The bottom line First, I would propose coming up with a dollar figure that you feel comfortable spending on your wedding. Now double it!

No, I’m just kidding, but you will find that unless you pull the reins in on some of your ideas, that initial number will be surpassed more quickly than you can imagine. Plan to be flexible, if at all possible.

Some things are easy to forget: you need to remember to have enough cash left on the day of the wedding for the limo, tips for 16

the musicians and caterers, and rental fees for tables, chairs and high chairs.

Make the guest list, but check it twice Here is where you can actually save some real money. For every single person you add, you are also adding a chair, a dinner, an invitation, a name card, a thank you note, and potential other extras.

Think twice before inviting every cousin in your family’s entourage, particularly if you are not very close or haven’t been in contact in years. The tricky part is not offending other family members by excluding some and including others. When you figure this one out, let me know.

We, of course, invited the whole family, which means that once we had a count, that’s what we paid for. Mother nature decided to throw us a white wedding, as in blizzard, so our guest list was automatically cut, but only after the fact.

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

Keep the bridal party small At our wedding, my husband insisted on having five groomsmen, plus one “junior groomsman.” This meant that I had to coerce five of my family members and friends to be attendants on my side.

A bigger bridal party meant mucho dinero for flowers, for one thing. It can also mean paying for things like salon services, shoes and even dresses. Of course, you want those you love most to be by your side on your wedding day, and I would say it is worth it to include these expenses in your wedding budget.

If you are really trying to keep things simple, however, try just asking one or two people per side to stand up for you as a couple.

Though it seemed a little extravagant, I loved the big bridal party and all the fabulous pictures of nearly every girl I love wear-

ing my favorite color. It was more expensive, but to me it was worth it.

Have a cocktail party!

I really loathe the idea of being forced to make small talk with a table of nine other people, only two or three of whom I know, for the hours surrounding the big wedding meal. For our reception, my husband-to-be and I decided to keep things light, literally.

We chose a wonderful local caterer who served up some very elegant hors d’oeuvres—both passed and stationary, and a fuller array of heavier appetizers and light dinner was available afterwards.

We saved because it was a cocktail party, and not everyone was expected to be seated at the same time. We didn’t have to rent as many chairs and tables. This added up to huge savings, as the cost for chairs alone was from $2 to $7 each, not to mention the linens to go with all the tables.

One more bonus: at a cocktail party, no one has to stay in one seat all night long and therefore there’s no seating arrangements and no name cards! I have heard of brides writing the names of all their guests on popsicle sticks and arranging them on the floor in “tables” until she felt she got it right. I just didn’t have that kind of time.

Plus, you have no idea how much less pressure I felt the final days before the wedding than if there had been a seating plan.

Get your “God” on: join a church Joining a church to save money seems like a horrible reason to suddenly become godly, but if you are religious and planning to have a ceremony blessed by your church, it would serve you well to be a member of the church first.

The church my fiancée and I attended (for over a year before we were married) does not charge any fees for wedding services for members; therefore the service was free.

One caveat: getting married within the church does require a time commitment, if not a financial one. My fiancée and I were required to attend at least three marriage counseling sessions, fill out quite a bit of paperwork and write letters to our clergy.

Also, although the service might be free of charge, couples should either make a donation to the church, or present the officiant with a gift of thanks…or both.

The wedding dress: shop ready-to-wear My cousin reportedly spent $1,200 on her wedding dress, or rather, her godfather foot the bill for that expense. My dress cost a small fraction.

It was hard to find a simple dress, and I was not excited about sequins or beads or frills or organza or even pearls, at least not on the dress itself. I bought a dress on clearance from Jcrew.com and then took it to a local seamstress for alterations.

The whole ensemble cost less than $150, including the alteration. It was a stunning, simple gown.

The shoes were another matter; I have a thing for beautiful shoes. I got them.

I wore a set of antique pearls and a fuzzy faux fur shrug that served as my something “borrowed.”

Shop online; try places like Ann Taylor and Jcrew as you sort through all the designer names that you will undoubtedly encounter when you google fabulous wedding dresses.

Print invitations yourself Even my fussiest friends didn’t know I printed my invitations myself. Check the art supply stores, or even office supply stores for a design that you like. Name cards and thank you notes can coordinate with the invitations, if you choose. The invitation kit I chose came complete with ribbon and a beautiful vellum overlay. I printed the cards at home on my color printer, using brown ink instead of black. I like the idea of getting creative and even custom, all on my own.

Call upon your talented friends One bridesmaid helped us out by wrapping all of our favors in gold and silver paper. Another bridesmaid hired some babysitters. My maid of honor took some fabulous pictures at the reception. Maybe most special, my aunt, an artist, made a custom cake topper out of clay displaying my fiancée and I and our whole, blended family—even the dog.

The groomsmen had their own tasks: picking up people at the airport, dropping off welcome baskets at the hotel for our out of town guests, carrying heavy objects from our house to the pick up truck.

The point is, don’t be afraid to ask for help. I think people are more than willing to lend a hand, but don’t always know when

or how you need help in your wedding planning. Ask them. Let them.

Where I wouldn’t skimp All the money-saving advice is wonderful, but it’s still your wedding, and you want it to be wonderful. You want it to look like something in your dreams.

My fiancée told me he thought that fresh flowers were the most important part of making an event feel really special. I was set on having live music. For both of these facets of the reception, we didn’t skimp. We hired the best florist in our city, and made arrangements for one of our favorite singers to play with her band at the reception. Neither my husband nor I regret the expense of our choices.

Surprisingly, although the limousine was an afterthought, it ended up being a wise decision, and a lot of fun! The limo driver came through the snowstorm and picked up all the “girls” and our little ring bearer, too. The pictures we took inside the limo are among my favorites. After riding in the limo, and getting the princess treatment from the driver, I can’t imagine getting just any ride to the service or worse, driving myself!

Lastly, since my husband and I both enjoy good wine, we chose our champagne and white wines from a local vineyard we both love, Westport Vineyards, after tasting and deciding on our favorites. The red wine was not local, but a nice Pinot Noir that was definitely the favorite drink of our guests, warming their bodies on the snowy night.

The most important bit of advice I received was this: It’s your day.

At times, I felt what I wanted was untraditional or at least unusual for a wedding.

By the end of the planning, I finally realized this was my one and only chance and if I didn’t speak up, someone else would make a decision for me.

It’s my day, I thought. I talked to my fiancée and we made a few last minute changes that were more in line with what we had originally envisioned for our wedding.

Since we are hopeless do-it-yourselfers, we knew there would be no one to blame if things didn’t go as planned, and no one else to hug and congratulate if they did. Luckily, there was a lot of hugging going on, but only after all that schlepping through the snow.

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

17

Money-saving tips from the groom

by Mark Hess

Ring-ka-ching When it comes to rings, I did everything I could to get my fiancée the nicest engagement and weddings rings I could almost afford. As for my ring, we waited until the last minute to make a decision so that we had a better handle on where the budget was coming in.

Of course, everything was more expensive than we expected. Two weeks before the wedding I went to the local jeweler and ordered a $90 titanium ring and used the savings to prop up the open bar fund. From my perspective, this was hardly a sacrifice.

Some day I will have our local jeweler make me something that matches the ring we had made for Stacie, but in the meantime, the ring I have is round, shiny, nearly indestructible and allowed us to put an extra $1,000 or so towards a nicer spread for our guests.

Wedding programs Stacie did all of the invitation printing at home, which saved us a bundle and gave us a very professional finish. She had more faith in our home printer than I did, and to my surprise the printing went slowly but smoothly for her.

One of my jobs was to print the wedding programs. We bought a box of blank 18

programs that came with a Word template, which we completed using a design with black and brown lettering. Despite Stacie’s success, I shied away from the home printing because it seems that one sure fire way to have your printer crash is to need it for something really important on short notice.

The day before the wedding (of course) I took the Word file to Staples on a little thumb drive and they worked up a quote for me that came in over $2 per program.

Visions of spending $50 on printer ink and 3 hours in front of a printer while Stacie gave me the hairy eyeball flashed into my head. Out of curiosity, I asked how much it would be in black and white. The cost was closer to $0.20 per program. All of a sudden, black and white seemed more appropriate.

Do the full bar If alcohol is a must, and Lord knows it is at any family gathering that makes my calendar, a full bar is not always the splurge people say it is. If you have the ability to purchase your own alcohol or have a caterer who will work with you on reasonable bar pricing, consider this: a 750 ml bottle of hard liquor makes about 16 drinks which is somewhere around $2 per drink. Though

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

this is a little pricier than beer, it is cheaper than wine if you are paying $10 per bottle of wine or more. In the end, the full bar looks classier, provides more of a selection and probably is a wash in terms of cost.

Champagne toast We ordered way too much champagne (actually it’s brut, but we’ll save that distinction for Alton’s articles), and I thought we were cutting it close when we worked the numbers out with the caterer.

I think this was an unanticipated but important result of the cocktail party setting versus sit-down meal. Because there were no place settings, there was also no obligatory glass of pre-poured champagne at each seat; much of which get abandoned in my experience.

About 10 minutes before the toast our band encouraged guests to grab champagne or the beverage of their choice from the bar. We had the champagne pre-poured on silver trays at the bar. When given the choice between whatever they were drinking and getting a new glass of champagne, very few people went with the champagne.

Had we known this, we could have saved several hundred dollars on champagne.

MEET ‘LEX DIAM

ND’

By Cara Connelly Pimental

AS OWNER OF A&A JEWELERS in Dartmouth, Alex

Limited editions

Nawari traded a kiosk at the North Dartmouth Mall for a store and turned it into a multi-million dollar business in less than 10 years.

Sometimes known as “Lex Diamond,” Naswari admits he is “living the American dream.”

At the age of seven, Naswari would spend summer at his uncles’ jewelry factory in Jordan. Over the next several summers, Naswari learned about the jewelry business, liked the industry and the people he worked with, and was having fun in the process.

Naswari still has the first tool his uncle gave him – a pair of jeweler scissors. By the time he was 12, he was a Master Jeweler and had made, from scratch, his first piece of jewelry. His curiosity about jewelry and crafting grew and at the age of 15, Naswari was the supervisor of his uncles’ factory.

In 1988, Naswari visited family in San Francisco for three months.

“I loved it”, he says. “I loved the roads and car and buildings. When I returned to Jordan, it was always in the back of my mind that I would someday settle in America. Everybody wants to go to America,” he says.

“Everybody wants to earn a better living so they enjoy the finer things in life and live more comfortably.

America provides you a better opportunity for a better living and a better future. I’m proud of my decision to come here, work hard and be successful.”

Finally, in 1996, Naswari sold his jewelry factory and jewelry making school in Aman, Jordan, and moved to the United States. He searched southern New England for a place to set up a business and eventually invested in a jewelry kiosk at the mall.

After spending all the money he had to set up the kiosk, he earned $300 on the first day he opened.

Naswari moved his business to its current location in 2002. The move enabled hi to expand his business and services. Sales increased by 60% the first year at the new location.

Naswari compares the limited edition Lex Diamond watch to a classic painting by a world famous artist. Every treasure comes with a price and the Lex Diamond collection is no different.

Depending on style and size, these magnificent time pieces range in price from $40,000 to over $100,000.

Each Lex Diamond watch takes about a week to produce. It is guaranteed for life and is personalized with a serial number and a certificate of ownership.

Naswari accepts the occasional commission to design a custom version for select clients. Today, the Lex Diamond watch is globally worn by celebrities and political dignitaries all over the world.

Some clients include Jordan celebrities and dignitaries including the King of Jordan. Hollywood’s Jennifer Lopez is a big fan and hip hop supporters include Snoop Dogg, Big Tigger, The Game, The Archbishop Don “Magic” Juan and Michael “Mad Dog” Martin of MTV’s Pimp My Ride. Richard Branson is a recent fan of the exquisite Lex Diamond watch collection.

Naswari is also involved in making a difference with his humanitarian efforts. He only purchases non-conflict diamonds. This is a term in the trade used to describe the illicit business of selling gems to fund civil wars in Africa. Conflict diamonds are found in African mines where people are often abused like slaves, denied food, safety and decent wages.

“I deal only with reputable dealers who have been established for many years,” he says.

A percentage of all yearly profits are donated to OxFam, an international organization which advocates the mining of non-conflict diamonds.

Over the last few years, Naswari has branched out from the jewelry business a bit. He enjoys racing his Lamborghini and is involved in a renovation project in New Bedford. The project, 10 Manomet Street is admittedly, “a work in progress.”

“Once a beautiful mill, this waterfront property is a prime location,” he adds.

His intent is to refurbish the building and build 18 penthouses with private docks, 91 apartments, 31 offices, a restaurant, beauty parlor, laundromat, dry cleaners and other luxury accommodations. Naswari hopes to have the Manomet project ready by 2011.

Business is good A&A has a solid business reputation. Even in this economy, Naswari reports that “business is not bad at all. I treat my customers well and sometimes have to cut profit margins to make a sale and keep or earn a new customer.”

He prides himself on being a full service diamond store and is often referred to by customers as “the engagement store of the South Coast.” His diamonds and gem stones are certified and Naswari is well known for his custom work.

A&A offers certified diamonds, repairs done while you wait and watch, fine jewelry, watch batteries and replacement bands, stones remounted or replaced, rings resized and a jeweler on premises at all times.

And, he says, A&A assures your complete satisfaction.

An exciting addition to A&A Jewelers is the “Lex Diamond Watch.” He designs and manufactures these high end, luxury time pieces. They combine the art of jewelry design with Swiss engineering. The highlight features of the watch includes interchangeable bezels with single, double, or triple rows of white or colored diamonds, some totaling 10 carats, with matching case settings of up to seven carats.

The Lex Diamond watch line is built on solid stainless steel of the highest quality or 18K gold casing and uses and exclusive 25 genuine ruby modified Swiss skeleton movement as opposed to bearings and sockets to hold the movements together. It runs forever because rubies are the second hardest substance on earth. The first is diamonds.

The movements can be clearly seen in each watch through the signature design sapphire crystal face, which is virtually scratch resistant. All watches are painstakingly hand set with fine diamonds of VS to SI grade. Each watch contains an average of 1000 diamonds. Naswari hand selects the diamonds from the diamond district in New York, and combines them with rubies and sapphires.

A&A Jewelers is at 452 State Road, Dartmouth. Call 508-992-5320 and visit both www.aajewwlersinc.com and www.LexDiamondWatch.com

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

19

1

2

$100 OFF WITH THIS AD

508-995-2722 www.discjockeymike.com

Recently Engaged?

3 4

You are cordially invited to attend

Lafrance Hospitality’s Annual Bridal Fair

6

Sunday, February 22, 2009 · 12 :00 - 3:00 p.m.

Rachel’s Lakeside

5

950 State Road, Dartmouth · 508.636.4044 Continuous Fashion Show by: Jenn & Jill’s Bridal Boutique & Slade Formal Wear Multiple Grand Prizes - with values up to $500!

Plus over 35 Vendors!

Register online:

www.LafranceHospitality.com White’s of Westport · Bittersweet Farm · Rachel’s Lakeside

20

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

1. Roger Gagnon, Slade Formal Wear 2. Steve Silverman, Press Club 3. Denise Poliquin, World Wise Travel 4. Russ and Gail Dougherty, Video Excellence 5. Claudine Corey and Charles Wingate, Wingate Photography 6. Carol Salisbury and Kayla Ryan, Stephen & Co. Hair and Beauty 7. Mike Cordeiro, MC Music Productions 8. Robin Erickson Potter, Erickson’s Florist 9. John Silva, John Silva Music 10. Gilda and Kate Franco, Gilda’s Place of Bridals 11. Christine Bevilacqua, Amazing Cakes 12. Susan and Andrea Chadinha, Designs by Chada Custom Made Jewelry

Personalized Service and Quality for Over 25 Years Tents Tables Chairs Flooring Dance Floors Linens China Glassware Catering Equipment And so much more‌ Free Site Inspections, Estimates and Wedding Planning Mattapoisett, MA (508) 758-2055 or Toll-Free in MA (800) 649-2055

www.chasecanopy.com

Transform your looks.

Change your life.

Destination weddings • Cruises • Limos • All-inclusive couples vacations

Marcellene S. Doctor, MD Specializing in a full range of cosmetic and reconstructive services.

0 Breast Surgery 0 Body Contouring 0 Liposuction 0 " !*+ $ ) %$ 0 Botox-fillers 0 Meso Therapy %' %$ $) " %$(*") ) %$ call a woman who understands.

Marcellene S. Doctor, MD " () $ %$()'* ) + *' '. $%+ ' )' ) "" + ' 0

Wicked Good Vacations Full Service Travel Agency

Call for free honeymoon registry 508-542-0044 Donna Battistelli, RTA Professional Travel Consultant

WickedGoodVacations.com

 Special Advertising Section — Wedding And Gift Guide 

Delight Her...

' $ $ " "$ #$"( "%# *# # # ' " #$ " # & " $ % # ! " # ! " $ % $ ! )

ST G REEN

VALLEY C OUNTRY C LUB ST

Clubhouse and lounge open to public Banquet room – 225 person capacity Perfect for weddings C LUBHOUSE 401-847-9543

B ANQUET O FFICE 401-265-3306

371 Union Street Portsmouth, RI www.greenvalleyccofri.com N

Fall River Country Club .ORTH -AIN 3TREET s &ALL 2IVER -!

(508)672-0280

The Fall River Country Club offers a beautiful venue in a secluded area surrounded by spectacular scenery, including a magnificent view of the Taunton River. This banquet facility offers the finest service and outstanding food. The facility serves only one party per night, in order to ensure excellent service and to guarantee that your event will be both memorable and carefree.

www.fallrivercc.com

' # " ## )

"

Valentine’s Jewelry Sale 20% Off Wedding Engagement Rings Store-wide jewelry sales

(excludes wedding bands and special order)

Thames Street Landing, Bristol, Rhode Island 401.253.0000 V 1.800.550.2724 www.TheCladdaghConnection.com

 Special Advertising Section — Wedding And Gift Guide 

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY from Absolute Bliss Day Spa

Unique Designs by Terri — Wedding Specialist —

Give the gift from your heart, pure relaxation N N N N N N N

Skin Treatments Hair Design Nail & Foot Treatments Eyelash Extensions Massage Makeup & Hair Extensions Group Events

10% OFF Gift Certificate purchases Offer expires: 2/28/2009

ABSOLUTE BLISS DAY SPA

1295 Stafford Road N Tiverton RI 401.624.4800

1826 South Main St., Fall River 508.673.6097 www.raysf lowershopne.com

"MM %JBNPOE +FXFMSZ BOE %JBNPOE 8FEEJOH #BOET PGG

THE ONLY EXCLUSIVE UPSCALE WOMEN’S FITNESS CENTER IN THE AREA

Precore cardiovascular line with cardio-theatre/plasmas Paramount Strength Line ( Free Weights ( Certified Staff Upscale lounge/internet access 5 Star changing area/individual showers Child watch program COMING SOON: tanning, group exercises/aerobics SPRING OF 2009: outdoor relaxation area will be open

XXX +++FXFMSZ DPN

69 SOUTH MAIN STREET ( ASSONET, MA (508) 644-1001

 Special Advertising Section — Wedding And Gift Guide 

Gifts for your Valentine!

Westport Point, MA

Coasters and Trivets

by Local Artist

Our handmade floral invitations give your wedding day that unique touch!

782 Main Road Westport, MA

508-636-0888

(next to Marguerites’ Restaurant) Hours: Mon. & Tue. 10am-5pm 7i`° ->Ì°Ê£ä> n« ÊUÊ Ãi`Ê-Õ `>ÞÃ

Looking for a special place for that special day?

Arthur Moniz

Our beautiful Victorian Gardens provide the perfect setting for your wedding day needs.

Call for rates and reservations

Fall River Historical Society 2OCK 3TREET s &ALL 2IVER -!

(508) 679 -1071

865 Main Road Westport, MA 508­636­2572 www.partnersvillagestore.com

ABC RENT-A-TENT, INC. TENTS s TABLES s CHAIRS s CHINA s LINENS s LIGHTING

The South Coast’s premier rental resource!

Three’s Company “Years of Satisfied Customers”

Quality food served by our friendly & experienced staff, at a reasonable price!

Free Consultation & Customized Package Quotes #OMPLETE #USTOMIZED7EDDING 3ERVICES !VAILABLE

Tent Wedding Specialists

“Catering For All Occasions & Any Size Function” #ATERING TO %ASTON S "EACH 2OTONDA

'LEN -ANOR 0AQUACHUCK )NN

"LITHEWOLD -ANSION &IVE "RIDGE )NN /FFICE s "IRTHDAY s 'RADUATIONS #OCKTAIL 0ARTIES "ABY "RIDAL 3HOWERS s "REAKFASTS #LAMBOILS s &UNERALS s #ORPORATE &UNCTIONS s "ARBEQUE S s 3TEAK &RY S s 4ENTS s ,INEN s #HINA ThreesCompanyCatering.com

508-679-5600

1 2IVERSIDE !VENUE s 3OMERSET -!

Country Club 97 4UCKER 2OAD s $ARTMOUTH -!

Hawthorne Country Club is a beautiful banquet facility surrounded by one of the areas most picturesque golf courses.

Overlooking the Paskamansett Valley, with its spectacular view, Hawthorne Country Club is the perfect choice for your special event.

For dates and information call Kathi or Anne at

508-997-3377

www.hawthornecountryclub.com

Free on-site consultations Creative event planning services

Westport s Newport s Cape Cod

s

“Partying Out is In!”

 Special Advertising Section — Wedding And Gift Guide 

FLASH C LADDAGH W EDDING B ANDS

Here come the brides The Fall River Country Club was the place for South Coast brides—and grooms—recently.

A Bridal Show provided opportunities for wedding professionals ranging from photographers to caterers and planners to cake decorators to showcase their best to locals in love.

0RESIDENT !VENUE s &ALL 2IVER -!

508-678-4096 www.irishspecialtyshoppe.com

8

sic

al

7

m

el e

w hi

9

nt

fu n

a ff or d

10

ga

ab

le

fall river carousel waterfront weddings & showers 11

12

Call Paula Hague at (508) 678-1100 or see details at www.battleshipcove.org

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

21

Broken hearts: ten tragic couples

by Raleigh Dugal

GREETING CARD COMPANIES would like the world to believe that Valentine’s Day is filled with heart-shaped boxes full up of candy, half-melted candles, and boxes of lingerie.

But 40 percent of the world celebrates with warmed over Chinese take-out and Law & Order marathons on TNT. If you find yourself drinking a box of wine solo while everyone else is canoodling with a sweetheart, don’t feel so bad.

Here’s a top ten list of cataclysmic awful relationships, from fruitless to forlorn to fictional, that will make you happy to go it on your own.

Lucy & Charlie Brown This Peanuts femme fatale never could wrest away the little red-head girl’s place atop Charlie Brown’s pre-pubescent pedestal. One of the first true feminists, Lucy was an entrepreneur who ran her own roadside psychology clinic and a pioneer for women in the sport of football. Unfortunately, each time she yanked the ball away just as Charlie Brown was about to kick was a sad metaphor for her own futile attempts to acquire his squiggle-haired charm. Good grief.

Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck The lovers that spawned the annoying phenomena of combining the names of superstar couples, “Bennifer” is the most farcical Hollywood relationship of the past decade. Instead of a child, this romance conceived something far worse: The film Gigli, which starred both actors in a convoluted, indecipherable plot compounded by atrocious acting. The movie spent just three weeks at U.S. box offices, about the same amount of time J. Lo and Ben lasted after its release fostered public outrage.

Ellen Degenres & Anne Heche Ellen’s 90s TV sitcom didn’t fail because she was a lesbian. It failed because it wasn’t funny. You can’t say the same for her romantic stint with Anne Heche. The B-List actress rocketed to fleeting stardom thanks to her then-controversial counterpart, finally landing lead roles in films like 22

Six Days, Seven Nights and the remake of Psycho. After a mental breakdown in 2000, she married a cameraman and had a child.

Ellen got the last laugh with a wildly popular talk show, while Heche is remembered best for riding coattails at the expense of her sexual orientation.

Antony & Cleopatra Romeo & Juliet always get top billing as tragic lovers, but these cats really know how to end it with a bang. Throughout the duration of their involvement, Antony neglects the people of Rome, wantonly crowns himself king of Egypt, and unsuccessfully tries to kill himself. Meanwhile, Cleopatra kills messengers, rags on Antony’s wife, and prompts him to abandon his entire army to the clutches of his rival before quaffing snake poison. Talk about drama queens.

Peanut Butter & Fluff What sadder story is there? Fluff has suffered second-banana status since its inception right here in Massachusetts in 1917. Sure, when peanut butter needs a little variety it’s got no problem straying to the sweet, spreadable cream, but in the end America’s number one nut-butter has only got eyes for jelly. In 2006 state rep KathiAnne Reinstein wanted to file a bill making the Fluffernutter the official Massachusetts sandwich, outing peanut butter’s longstanding affair—not that it mattered much, since it’s been getting mixed up with chocolate since 1928.

John Edwards & Rielle Hunter What’s worse than being the second most boring candidate ever for the democratic nomination? Cheating on your cancerstricken wife with the videographer for the second most boring campaign ever.

Rachel & Joey The Ross/Rachel hysteria generated from TV mega-hit Friends reached its zenith sometime during the third season (there were 10). Friendophiles couldn’t have ever really thought producers would shirk the

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

relationship they’d salivated over for the better part of ten years in the finale. That’s why the series’ late run at a Rachel and Joey plot line was so insipidly stupid. Hatched out of a half-baked post-pregnancy proposal, the short-lived swoon was more likely a tactic to flesh out Joey Tribianni for a Friends spinoff, creatively titled Joey. Canceled after season one.

Harry Potter & Cho Chang Could little Hank Potter be any more opportunistic? After the death of Cedric Diggory at the hands of Voldemort (for which he is partly responsible) in 0, the boy wizard leans in for some pre-holiday snogging as he woos Cho with his wand skills in The Order of the Phoenix. He should have waited until book six, when he could at least claim he was vulnerable to her girlish charms because of Dumbledore’s demise.

Paris Hilton & Anyone Dating Paris Hilton is kind of like riding a carousel: Lots of people have done it, it costs more than it’s really worth, and if you stay on too long it will make you sick.

Since 2002, she’s dated model Jason Shaw, singers Nick Carter and Benji Madden, and shipping heirs Paris Latsis and Stavros Niarchos III. Aside from her cloying narcissism, Paris doesn’t seem half bad. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t seem half good, though.

Hannibal Lecter & Clarice Starling The conclusion of the gruesome 2001 film sees Hannibal Lecter cut off his own hand to evade captors after dining on the brain of an FBI agent, then pack it as a bag lunch for an air-bound escape. What the film neglects is the real ending of Thomas Harris’ third novel, when Lecter’s former cell guard Barney spots him and Starling together at the opera in Buenos Aires. There’s some implication he might be holding her against her will using drugs, but Clarice always had an unhealthy obsession with the creep.

Imagine the arguments over what’s for dinner?

PICK WEDDING FLOWERS WISELY

By Brian J. Lowney

WHEN PLANNING A WEDDING, whether it’s large or small, traditional or up-to-the-minute, every detail is essential and cannot be overlooked. One of the most crucial decisions a bride must make is the choice of wedding flowers.

“Flowers are one of the most important aspects of your wedding,” said Terry Cabral of Ray’s Flower Shop in Fall River. “They set the mood and tone for the event and will be remembered for years to come.”

Cabral, who creates beautiful flower arrangements for more than 100 weddings a year, says that most florists can only accept a set number of weddings on a given day. She adds that florists should be contacted at least three months before the event, but if the wedding is going to be exceptionally elaborate, held on a holiday or during the peak wedding season, the engaged couple should meet with the florist at least six months and up to a year before the set date.

“This will allow the florist to begin looking for any props or specialty items you might need,” Cabral reveals. “Wedding flowers can be highly specific and colors often have to be very precise, so florists need advance notice to place orders.”

The experienced florist says it’s important for a bride to select flowers based on personal preference, not by cost. She suggests while prospective brides can study wedding magazines and Web sites to get ideas, it’s more important to work with an experienced florist who has created hundreds of beautiful wedding arrangements.

“A dedicated and professional florist can offer great ideas for brides working with a shoestring budget,” Cabral adds. She emphasizes that just as each wedding is different, every bride is an individual whose dreams should come true on her wedding day.

“I really try to capture the bride’s dreams,” Cabral notes.

Be honest “Be honest about your budget during the initial consultation so the florist knows what to recommend,” she continues. “By taking your budget into consideration from the very beginning of the planning process, the florist can give you the best advice on how to place the flowers for maximum effect and what types of flowers will be the best value to achieve your desired look.”

Cabral says that in addition to suggesting specific flowers to accommodate a bride’s budget, a professional florist can also offer helpful suggestions about

Terry Cabral showcases her floral designs.

blooms that can be used during the wedding ceremony and reception. Bridesmaids’ bouquets can become table decorations; the bride’s flowers can be used as a centerpiece for the head table; and altar flowers can stand in front of a buffet or cake table.

“Florists are overflowing with creative ways to make use of your budget and flowers wisely,” Cabral adds.

The wedding expert says that most brides now want elegant and simple floral arrangements. She lists calla lilies, peonies, roses and orchids as being popular choices for bridal arrangements. White flowers are popular for winter weddings, simply decorated with delicate branches and crystals. “‘Less is more’ is the mantra we try to follow,” Cabral says.

The florist urges brides to consider the season in which the wedding will take place when they decide what flowers they’d like in their bridal arrangements.

She suggests that brides marrying during the summer or in a humid place select hardy flowers that won’t wilt, such as sunflowers, zinnias, dahlias, lilies and hydrangeas.

“Avoid gardenias, lilies of the valley, tulips and wildflowers,” she recommends.

their special day.

“Be sure that bouquets aren’t too heavy or too hard to carry,” she advises. “Trust us: You don’t want that burden.”

Cabral also tells brides not to choose their bouquets and their attendants’ flowers without considering dress styles and colors, as well as body shape. She adds that a delicate nosegay will get lost against an elaborate ruffled dress and a petite bride will be overshadowed by a large cascading floral arrangement.

The florist, who has created bridal floral arrangements for weddings throughout the region and in New York City, also tells brides that bouquets shouldn’t be too fragrant.

“You don’t want to be sneezing down the aisle,” Cabral often tells brides. Blooms such as lilacs, tuberoses and gardenias should be used sparingly.

“These days, florists are actually more like event designers,” Cabral concludes, adding that many florists also provide balloons, streamers, lanterns and other decorations. “Dealing with one vendor rather than four or five may alleviate some stress.”

Ray’s Flower Shop is located 1826 South Main Street Fall River, MA. 508-673-6097.

Size matters Cabral says it’s also important for brides to consider size when thinking about floral arrangements for

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

23

WELLNESS

Celebrating love

By Christa Johnson

AS VALENTINE’S DAY APPROACHES, the card racks are filled with pink and red, stores are brimming with heart shaped chocolate boxes, long stemmed roses enjoy their best sales season, and restaurants are filled with couples celebrating their love for one another.

When we think of love, it is this pinkhearted, rose-filled, truly wonderful romantic love that we celebrate this month, but in truth there are other kinds of love that sustain us, quietly, without fanfare.

The love of a mother for her child, the love of a hospice nurse for her patients, the love that Mother Teresa had for the thousands of diseased, indigent people that she held in her arms and brought to a place where they would not die alone… now that’s love. No parades, balloons or champagne required.

This kind of love is unconditional, has the power to heal and transform any situation, and can bring deep meaning to our lives.

When all is said and done, unconditional love provides the basis for all religions.

In Corinthians, “Though I speak in the tongues of man and angels but have not love, I am as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophesy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so as to move mountains but have not love, I am nothing.”

Buddhists believe that “Whatever happiness is in the world has arisen from a wish for the welfare of others. Whatever misery there is arises from indulging in selfishness.” How strange it is that so many wars, so much violence has been perpetrated in the name of religion when the religious teachers and prophets have all taught unconditional love.

Lovingkindness Lovingkindness—one word, for our language has no equivalent for the Buddhist term—is a meditation practiced with the goal of becoming a more unconditionally 24

loving person.

The instruction here is to spend a little time each day mentally sending your love and best wishes to various people in your life. First you are asked to send your best loving wishes to someone for whom sending love is effortless, perhaps to a mentor or someone who has been kind to you in the past.

Next, you might image your partner or spouse and children and send along whatever feelings you have in your heart for them. Most of the time, this will be effortless, but sometimes, relationships being imperfect, we obsess about whether the toothpaste was capped after use or some other minor skirmish that interrupts our loving that person unconditionally. Lovingkindness meditation in these cases can have the effect of smoothing out the rough patches so that you can enter that relationship again and again without holding on to negative emotions.

The most challenging part of lovingkindness meditation is the instruction that we also spend time sending our love and best wishes to the difficult people in our lives, or even our enemies.

Forgiveness This is done to encourage the quality of forgiveness. Forgiveness is not about letting someone off the hook; it is about letting go of the negative emotions that tied you to this relationship and moving on. The only one who is hurt by your inability to forgive is you. We are asked to “love thy neighbor as thyself,” a difficult enough request.

But we are also asked to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” This is where the going gets rough.

These quotes are not just for religious people motivated perhaps by a desire to meet their maker at the end of their lives on the best of terms. The truth is that forgiving those who have hurt us is the most important thing we can do for our own peace and well being in the here and now.

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

The health effects of living a more loving and altruistic life are being recognized more and more as studies are showing that all systems of the human body are positively influenced by love, the practice of compassion, volunteerism, participation in support groups and the like.

Victor Frankl, a holocaust survivor, noticed that there were people in the concentration camps who managed somehow to remain relatively happy and healthy in this unspeakably horrible environment.

“We who lived in the concentration camps can remember those who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread… They may have been few in number but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be take from us but the last of human freedoms… the freedom to choose our spirit in any circumstance.” It was their love and compassion that allowed them to survive and even thrive.

So while buying those cards and chocolates, be grateful not only for romance but for the love that is all around us, often hidden in the darkest of places, and consider how you might bring more of this kind of love into the world. The world will benefit… and so will you.

Dr. Christa Johnson teaches ongoing workshops at Healthtrax Fitness and Wellness Center in Dartmouth Tuesday evenings from 6:30-9PM. The next series will start on Tuesday March 3. She can also bring these teachings to your school or organization upon request. Her website cfmbh. com will be updated regularly with other course offerings. Her book “Lynn’s Legacy Mind Body and Spirit” has recently been published and although it won’t be available on Amazon or bookstores until May, it can be purchased on her website cfmbh.com or directly from her until that time. Contact Pat Backus at 508-679-7157 to register for Healthtrax classes.

Together, we’ll get through this.

In these difficult times, dependability is hard to come by. At Bank of Fall River, our safe and strong performance has always been based on simple values.

This is why we’ve always avoided risky ideas like subprime mortgages. It’s also why our depositors have never lost a cent of their hard-earned savings, since the day we began.

We welcome the opportunity to assist you with any present or future needs– just as we have since 1888.

B A N K O F FA L L R I V E R ___________________________ C H A RT E R E D 18 8 8

The relationship you’ve been looking for.

508.678.7655

www.bankoffallriver.com Fall River t Dighton/Taunton t Fairhaven Member FDIC

Season Producer:

Member SIF

Equal Housing Lender

p ort sm o u t h a bb e y s c ho ol 5,0( +3,4 9 63.(

13( % 1&55% +(

<

%& (..9 %3.%0 '

6( 0 6351

is the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading coeducational Catholic boarding school. Unique in its English Benedictine tradition, it offers a challenging academic curriculum rich in mathematics and science and built upon a signature Humanities program.

Our 500-acre campus bordered by Narragansett Bay and the Carnegie Abbey Club provides a safe, welcoming environment for 350 students in grades 9-12. www.portsmouthabbey.org

! ! # #

$(,5(3,10 (3)13/,0* 354 (05(3 TICKETS: $35 18 )),&( %/; 2/ ! ; %/; 2/ in adjacent garage

" online 777 :(,5(3,10 13* by phone

in person

63&+%4( 5

"

Season Underwriters: %-(3 11-4 (',6/456',1 (901.'4 (7%.5

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

25

SUMMER FUN

An educational summer not so far away

by Bob Ekstrom

Lloyd Center For The Environment, Dartmouth (508-990-0505 X15 / www. lloydcenter.org).

Lloyd Center’s programs are packed with diverse activities for grades 3-8. Several include kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, and overnight camping, and all are aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, so parents know they’re age-appropriate.

2009 schedules, rates, and registration info will be available shortly for the five oneweek programs, which feature two firsttimers this summer.

“Forest Frenzy is for fifth and sixth-graders,” says Liz Moniz, the Center’s Senior Educator and Naturalist. “They’ll be looking at forests as a habitat. We have a maritime forest, meaning the species of trees here can grow with salty air all around them.

“In Marine Mammals, they’ll be learning about different marine mammals with an adaptation focus, because it’s for fourthand fifth-graders. And they’ll get to go on either a whale watch or seal cruise.”

Interested campers should check back for the final curriculum.

JOANN BERNIER CORNELL

The South Coast abounds with nature camps that can make your child’s summer educational while it is fun. But February is a good time to act, as many will be opening registration shortly and have limited capacity. Here are seven of the more intriguing: N

26

N YMCA Camp Metacomet, Dartmouth (508-993-3361 / www.ymcasouthcoast.org).

One of the five sites that comprise YMCASouthcoast’s extensive network of camps for all ages and activities, Metacomet is home to Sharing the Harvest, a community farm that grows vegetables distributed to local food pantries and soup kitchens. The farm has begotten Young Farmers Specialty Camp, a new offering this year in which campers aged 6-15 work the farm from seed to harvest. Like many YMCASouthcoast programs, Young Farmers provides senior campers with leadership skills.

“It’s very hard at that age group, because [teens] can’t work yet at many places,” acknowledges Vice President and Director of Operations Nancy Bonell. “The 13-, 14-, -and 15-year old age group can be somewhat awkward, where they don’t know if they want to camp still. Our leadership programs have been very popular.”

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

Registration is currently open. Visit the website for full camp schedules and rates.

N Buttonwood Park Zoo, New Bedford (508-991-6178 X30 / www.bpzoo.org).

Hot off its award as the Nickelodoen 2008 Parents’ Picks for Best Big Kids’ Day Camp in the Providence metro area, Zoo Crew is adding a fourth week onto its 2009 program. Schedules, rates, and registration info will be available soon on its website.

Click [All About The Zoo], then [Education].

Programs are designed for ages 8-12 and will begin in late July.

“We have a balance of inside classroom time as well as outside time at the zoo,” says Educator Jason Theuman, “and a balance between crafts and educational programs, and different games to get learning points across.”

Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth (508-746-1622 X8359 / www.plimoth.org).

Send your child on a journey into Colonial America. Two multi-session programs are offered, with schedule, rate, and registration info available shortly. Colonial Adventure is history-themed, while the Wampanoag Adventure explores the lands our first inhabitants walked. Unlike other camps, Colonial Adventure does not mix venues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not in the classroom at all,â&#x20AC;? says Kate Curran, Plimoth Plantationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Program Services Manager. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It takes place on the Wampanoag Educational Site, which is a re-creation of the traditional summer roundhouse. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty much all outside, or in the wetu [house]. You get a little deeper experience than just physical knowledge and the fun of it.â&#x20AC;?

N

Audubon Society of Rhode Island (401-949-5454 X3014 / www.asri.org).

Environmental Education Center, Bristol.

Eight distinct one-week camps among this 28-acre marine habitat are offered, some in multiple sessions, from June 22 through August 14. Non-member registration begins March 9. Call or click on [Programs & Classes], then select the Audubon Summer Camps link below.

Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, Seekonk. No one knows these 196 acres better than Camp Director Joe Koger, who will illuminate your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s curiosity in the dark of night with his Night Camp, which crowns a full summer schedule of six one-week camps. Use the same link listed above for more info.

N

Marion Natural History Museum, Marion (508-990-0505 X15 / www.marionmuseum.org). Two separate two-week camps are offered to children in grades 1-4, each in two sessions. Schedules, rates, and registration info are being finalized. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Both our summer programs are run by experienced biology teachers that love to take a break and teach the younger kids in the summer,â&#x20AC;? says museum director Elizabeth Leidhold. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our [programs are] all about getting kids unplugged and back outside to explore nature in a relaxed and fun atmosphere, while learning something about the environment we live in.â&#x20AC;?

Group Fitness Classes >Â?Â?Ă&#x160; Â?>Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;-Ă&#x152;iÂŤĂ&#x2030;*Â&#x2C6;Â?>Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x192;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;9Â&#x153;}> -* Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;-Ă&#x152;iÂŤĂ&#x2030; Â?iĂ?Ă&#x2030;-Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;iĂ&#x152;VÂ&#x2026;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; Â&#x153;`Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;*Ă&#x2022;Â&#x201C;ÂŤ <Ă&#x2022;Â&#x201C;L>t

Â&#x2026;Â&#x2C6;Â?`V>Ă&#x20AC;i]Ă&#x160;ÂŤiĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x192;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;>Â?Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;>Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;` Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;VÂ&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x192;iÂ?Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;>Ă&#x203A;>Â&#x2C6;Â?>LÂ?i

Hours: Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;`>Ă&#x17E;Â&#x2021;/Â&#x2026;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x192;`>Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2C6;>Â&#x201C;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2122;ÂŤÂ&#x201C; Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;`>Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2C6;>Â&#x201C;Â&#x2021;nÂŤÂ&#x201C; ->Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;`>Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2021;>Â&#x201C;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x201C;ÂŤÂ&#x201C; -Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;`>Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;n>Â&#x201C;Â&#x2021;ÂŁĂ&#x201C;ÂŤÂ&#x201C;

508-674-5220 ÂŁĂ&#x2021;äĂ&#x2021;Ă&#x160; ,Ă&#x160; Â&#x2C6;}Â&#x2026;Ă&#x153;>Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;-Ă&#x153;>Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x192;i>]Ă&#x160;

www.barbellefitness.com

2OO9

L L OY D C E N T E R F O R T H E E N V I R O N M E N T

S U M M E R N AT U R E A DV E N T U R E S for students entering

grades k-8

N

L L OY D C E N T E R F O R T H E E N V I R O N M E N T Protecting nature through research and education

430 Potomska Road, Dartmouth, MA 02748 For further information, call 508-990-0505 x15

W W W. L L OY D C E N T E R . O R G

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

27

Audubon’s nature camps Looking forward to summer

by Bob Ekstrom

Summer’s foundation laid in winter’s frost At the Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s (ASRI) Environmental Education Center in Bristol, Kristen Swanberg stands in the winter quiet of Exhibit Hall. Around her is an eclectic collection from every habitat of adjacent McIntosh Wildlife Refuge, but the lobster pool has her immediate attention.

Its sole occupant has been a bit listless of late.

“She’s getting ready to molt,” explains Swanberg, ASRI’s Senior Director of Education, about the process by which this 28

lobster will discard its shell and expand into a larger. For Swanberg’s programs, winter is a time of molting.

As most of the 28-acre refuge lies under the cover of snow outside, Swanberg and her staff are busy laying the foundation for summer camps that will expand the horizons of hundreds of youths. In all, they’re developing a dozen different curricula that study indigenous species of fish, bird, and wildlife, both in their natural habitat and in the classroom. What distinguishes each are the targeted age group, refuge ecosystems, and learning emphasis.

This year, camps will run from June 22 through August 14 at four Audubon refuges, including Caratunk Wildlife Refuge in Seekonk and McIntosh in Bristol. The latter is the only camp with access to the salt water of Mount Hope Bay, lending it an ecosystem distinct from the others.

“Our goal is marine education,” Swanberg says of the camps hosted at McIntosh and the Environmental Education Center. “We try to get [children] outside every day. Getting outside grounds them, gets them to see that their actions have far-reaching effects on the environment.”

A typical day at each Audubon camp runs from 9 AM through 3 PM and starts with a working activity and circle time, where children interact with one another. Fieldwork follows, then lunch, games, and camp-specific activities. Among them

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

are arts and crafts, which first attracted Zachary Wilks.

Something for everyone Zachary, now 9, enrolled in ASRI’s summer program at the Exeter, RI refuge three years ago while he was living 50 minutes away in Connecticut. Although the family has since moved to Gloucester, Zach’s commute is still long. One of his passions has led him to Nature Art camp, which is only offered in Seekonk’s Caratunk refuge.

He’s attended this camp the past two seasons and plans to return this year.

“Every summer, he has a choice of three camps,” says mother Marie, “and his first choice is always Audubon.”

Strap on those snowshoes and join an Audubon naturalist for a winter adventure on the trails of Audubon’s Parker Woodland Wildlife Refuge.

February 7, 2009

AUDUBON SOCIETY OF RHODE ISALND

FEBRUARY IS HERE, and school winter break is coming. The kids can’t wait. You can’t wait. Soon, the whole winter tapestry is yours to share for nine days.

Then a funny thing happens.

It’s President’s Day and you’ve been together for 72 hours straight. The snacks are all eaten, your living room’s a mess, and the kids have mastered Guitar Hero to the point where they can play “Sweet Child O’ Mine” better than Slash himself. Mom’s been told a dozen times that the kids are hungry, and Dad’s been asked that many more to take them out for some fresh air.

And you realize this is only a microcosm of the summer to come.

Parents all suffer the same anxieties. With the last school bell of June, the kids will be all ours once again. They’ve got plenty of time and plenty of potential. We don’t want to see it wasted but can’t harness it alone.

We need help.

Well, the South Coast abounds with children’s summer camps that can do just that. Many are recreational and some are glorified child-sitting services, but there’s a growing number of nature camps that educate under the cloak of fun. Even as Punxsutawney Phil prognosticates of spring, directors and educators are applying the trimmings to curricula sure to make for good summer companions.

JESSICA WEINBERG

We’ve made important changes in how we collect and publish your calendar listings, and we need your help to smooth the transition

PROWL FOR OWLS! Learn all about the owls of Rhode Island, then head out with an Audubon naturalist to search for these majestic creatures!

For Zach, whose broad interests also include karate, soccer, and horseback riding, the choice is an easy one.

“My favorite subjects—for the last five years of my life—0 are art and animals,” he says of interests that date back to his preschool days coloring in an animal activity book.

ASRI’s Nature Art camp is a tailored outlet for Zach. Among its varied activities, campers explore the refuge and draw or sculpt the species they observe. However, their subjects are not limited to refuge inhabitants.

“One of my favorite [projects] was when I made a mixing bowl out of Indian clay, which is a mixture of sand, glue, and hot water,” he recalls.

Marie Wilks, a college professor, says Zach’s choice is fine by her. She’s attracted to Audubon programs by the quality and level of staffing. Most have two experienced counselors for a maximum of 15 campers, but Nature Art has had three. She has observed with satisfaction her son’s talents benefit from the increased individual instruction.

“I just cannot see a child sit home for [ten] weeks doing nothing but playing video games and watching TV,” Wilks says.

They only come out at night One of Swanberg’s unique camps at the Environmental Education Center is Marine Explorers, which studies marine life along Narragansett Bay. The final session of the week is held at night, giving campers a chance to observe the nocturnal activities of the species around them.

A similar camp is also offered at Seekonk’s Caratunk refuge, sans the emphasis on marine species. But Caratunk takes it another level with Night Camp, a week-long camp that will close this summer’s program.

“A lot of animals don’t show themselves in the daytime when it’s pretty hot,” explains Tracey Hall, ASRI’s Summer Camp Director, of the rationale behind her successful afterhours camps.

“Kids get to see animals that aren’t often seen in other camps, such as different species of owls, even mink, fox, and fisher.

They learn about the different adaptations at night and enjoy exploring that whole process.”

In addition to the altered ecosystems, Hall sees other benefits in the summer night.

“It’s more comfortable for them. Kids that go to this camp have a blast…and it gives parents a night off.”

Nothing wrong with that. After all, we moms and dads can use a break this summer, too.

We’re moving to a new web-based calendar technology that will better serve our readers—and your prospective visitors or patrons.

All you have to do is register—and there’s no cost to do so.

Once you’re registered, you can enter an event.

Take a minute to check to see if your event has already been entered. If not, click Today’s Event and then Submit Event at the top center of the page and enter your information.

Please fill out the form completely!

We’ll be notified of your submission, and as soon as we approve it, your calendar listing will be published online.

Watch for this and other exciting changes to The South Coast Insider.

We’ll keep you posted with announcements in the magazine and online.

www.thesouthcoastinsider.com

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

29

WINE NOTES

Weddings, wines, and lovers’ gifts

by Alton Long

It seems that wine, and especially sparkling wine, is the perfect commodity for providing a romantic beverage for special occasions.

This is especially true for weddings or as a gift for that special person. Today, most special social events include some way of offering the guests some decent wines to enjoy. Wine seems the most civilized beverage, the most compatible with mixed crowds, young and old, men and women.

Wedding selections For the typical wedding reception wine is needed for two specific activities, the wedding toast and as an accompaniment to the dinner. The selection of the proper and best wines for the dinner and the Champagne for the toasting is like anything else with a wedding; that is, it depends on several major issues, and first is the budget and the taste of the wedding feast host.

It is easy to spend a small fortune on delicious classic French Champagne, but you can find some sparkling wines from the U.S. and other countries that are still pleasing to most consumers and fit any reasonable budget.

However, there is another controlling factor that must be taken into consideration.

Most wedding receptions are done in commercial or private clubs that have their own 30

inventory of wine from which they will want you to choose. Now here’s the rub; no self respecting bartender would expect to be able to get away with providing rot gut whiskey or head killing gin but some figure they can pass off some obscure brand of mediocre wine, as most of the public are novices when it comes to wine.

And sometimes the opposite is true. I recently consulted with a father-of-the-bride who wanted to impress his guests but at a reasonable price. When he showed me the club’s wine list I was surprised and dully impressed with the number of good quality wine selections. But more important, there were a couple of truly great sleeper bargains in the list; great wines that were moderately priced. I hope the guests appreciated their good fortune.

Fortunately you may be able to solve the

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

dilemma by having someone who is knowledgeable about wine, whose wine taste you respect, help you pick the wedding wines, or, you might taste them yourself.

Believe it or not a good wedding planner will probably be happy to offer you that courtesy; after all, it’s your wedding. If what you taste is not to your liking, you may have to convince the club to allow you to use an alternative wine, and it may cost you a bit more.

Wines All things being said, there are numerous Champagnes and sparkling wines that will meet almost any taste and any budget (but not necessarily both!) To list them all would require a book bigger than the magazine you are holding. But let’s just mention a few to get you started.

Starting at the moderate consumer level, the classic French Moet et Chandon Imperial runs about $40 per bottle.

The pretty “pink” rosé is called Moet et Chandon Nectar Imperial and runs somewhat higher at $50 a bottle. One of the most romantic Champagnes is Perrier Jouet’s Fleur de Champagne, which comes in the distinctive bottle covered with an enameled flower. This is now running over $100 per bottle (!) but worth it if one is trying to make an impression.

There are many sparkling wines from the U.S, some made by European-owned sparkling wine producers. They included Mumm Napa. Roederer Estate, Piper Sonoma. Domaine Carneros (owned by Taittinger) and more. All of these run less than their French counterpoints, from $16 and up. Then there is Korbel, Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest producer of sparkling wines, who still call their sparkling wines Champagne. Both the Brut and the RosĂŠ run about $15 each.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget that there are sparkling wines from other countries such as Segura Viudas Brut Reserva, from Spain, which costs around $9, and Villa Sandi Prosecco, from northern Italy, which is a demi-sec (which means it is slightly sweet,) at about $14.

Zonin, also from Italy, produces a Prosecco at about $14 and comes in a nice wrappable box (now on special at some shops at 2 for $25.) One could go on and on.

wine says a lot. In these hard times such a gift is the beginning of a neat party. Some of the better shops have attractive gift packages with the bottle of sparkling wine and two classy champagne glasses. This makes a nice gift for celebrating an engagement, or use at the bride and groomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s table at the wedding, or for an after-the-honeymoon celebration. It also makes a nice gift for that special someone, suggesting an intimate evening to come.

An example is the gift set currently available at Cardozaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, which consists of a bright red box with two elegant champagne flutes and a full bottle of Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut, all for $43. Another almost cute idea is the one-quarter bottle of authentic Champagne for Nicolas Feuillatte that has a bright pink label and foil capsule with a bit of pink ribbon for $15.

By the way, it has been said the Champagne goes with anything. So donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry about having leftover bottles from the wedding. These extra bottles can help extend the honeymoon by making every evening meal another celebration.

WHEN IT COMES TO GIFTS, A GOOD SPARKLING WINE SAYS A LOT. IN THESE HARD TIMES SUCH A GIFT IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEAT PARTY.

Loversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; gifts When it comes to gifts, a good sparkling

Champagnes available locally N

N

N

â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the outstanding reasons to visit New Englandâ&#x20AC;?

Yankee Magazine (editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pick)

Newport 2003 Brut CuveĂŠ. a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at $35 Running Brook Vineyards 2001 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Celebrationâ&#x20AC;? blend of 70 percent Chardonnay and 30 percent Pinot Noir at $30 Sakonnet Champagne blend of 70 percent Chardonnay and 30 percent Pinot Noir at $20

N

Westport Rivers Vineyards and Winery offers 5 varieties:

N

Brut RJR; blend of 70 percent Chardonnay and 30 percent Pinot Noir. At about $23

N

Blanc de Blancs ; 100 percent Chardonnay, at about $30

N

Blanc de Noirs; 87 percent Pinot Noir and 13 percent Pinot Meunier at about $30

N

Imperial Sec,; 88 percent Riesling with 12 percent Rkatsiteli at about $30

N

7ATER 3TREET s 5NIT 7ARREN 2)

WWW SCOLARIPHOTO COM

1993 Maximilian Brut Reserve,(Called Max for short)A late disgorged mĂŠthode champanoise sparkling wine aged 14 years en triage; only about 25 cases were produced and the current price is $60. So get it while you can!

Corporate s Travel s Private Jet Weddings s Special Events s Tours Casino s College/School s Funerals #LEMENCEAU 3TREET s East Providence, RI

toll free: 866-925-5466 www.sentinellimo.com

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

31

BAKER BOOK PICKS Compiled by Magoo Gelerhter Courtesy of Baker Books – www.bakerbooks.net

Love plays in a part in most great books, but not always in our own lives. You might not be able to find “Love Potion Number Nine,” but these titles might help bring warmth and affection to your relationships.

Why Mars & Venus Collide

by John Gray Harper Collins $13.99 Paperback Once upon a time, Martians and Venusians functioned in separate worlds. But in today’s hectic and career-oriented environment, relationships have become a lot more complicated, and men and women are experiencing unprecedented levels of stress.

To add to the increasing tension, most men and women are also completely unaware that they are actually hardwired to react differently to the stress. It’s a common scenario: a husband returns home from work stressed out and eager to kick back on the couch and watch television. A wife returns home from work stressed out and wants to talk about it with her husband. What happens? Neither is on the same page, anger and resentment set in, and Mars and Venus collide.

Backed up by groundbreaking scientific research, Gray offers a clear, easy-to-understand program to bridge the gap between the two planets, providing effective communication strategies that will actually lower stress levels. Whether in a relationship or single, this book will help both men and women understand their new roles in a modern, work-oriented society, and allow them to discover a variety of new and practical ways to create a lifetime of love and harmony.

32

person fall in love with you—in a mere 90 minutes, or approximately the time it takes to have a first dinner date. Now in paperback, this follow-up to his bestselling How to Make Someone Like You in 90 Seconds or Less is updated throughout with information on Internet dating, bringing together all of Mr. Boothman’s considerable interpersonal skills to the problem of finding lasting love, fast.

How to Get Your Husband to Listen to You

by Nancy Cobb & Connie Grigsby Random House $13.99 Paperback How to Get Yur Husband to Listen to You is not about how to change a man’s Godgiven way of thinking but about how to initiate healthy communication and enjoy the blessing of a husband who wants to listen.

Discover specific ways to help your husband value what you say and how you say it. Reading this book will help you to understand what your husband really wants (and it might not be what you think!)

How To Make Someone Fall in Love With You In Ninety Minutes or Less

by Nicholas Boothman Workman Publishing $11.95 Paperback Building on the power of first impressions, Nicholas Boothman shows how to find and meet the love of your life—and have that

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

Sex Detox: Recharge Desire, Revitalize Intimacy & Rejuvenate Your Love Life

by Ian Kerner Harper Collins $24.95 Hardcover From the New York Times bestselling author of She Comes First and Be Honest— You’re Not That Into Him Either comes a revolutionary 30-day program to detoxify and rejuvenate your love life. The premise is simple: When it comes to sex, dating, and relationships, sometimes we get in so deep the only way out is to start over again. For many of us—whether we’re in a relationship, or actively dating in the hopes of finding that someone special—our love lives have become a source of toxicity. Sex Detox offers a revolutionary way to start fresh and take action. Whether you’re single or coupled, Sex Detox will enable you to achieve the relationship results you deserve.

Sex & Sensibility: Ten Women Examine the Lunacy of Modern Love… in Cartoons edited by Liza Donnelly Little Brown $22.99 Hardcover Sex and Sensibility is a book of 150 cartoons, all by female cartoonists, that captures the zeitgeist of sex and love today.

Many of these selections would never have been published ten years ago due to their being too risque or tackling subject matter that hadn’t been invented yet, like sex through texting. These women offer snapshots of ourselves in love and in bed.

Fresh ingredients Fresh air Fresh food 778 Main Road Westport, MA 508.636.3040 www.margueritesrestaurant.com

DRY CLEANING EXTRAORDINAIRE iÜÊ } > `½Ã £ÊÜi`` }Ê> `ÊLÀ `> Ê } Ü ÊëiV > ÃÌ

The Panic Years: A Guide to Surviving Smug Married friends, Bad Taffeta, & Life on the Wrong Side of 25

by Doree Lewak Random House $19.95 Hardcover You know you’re in the Panic Years when your mom slips you the number of her tennis partner’s son…for the fifth time. Or perhaps you’ve walked down the aisle dozens of times—just not as a bride. Your “concerned friends” chip in for a subscription to Match. com for your birthday. It’s down to you and the five-year-old flower girl at the bouquet toss. You actively scheme to win back your ex—even though he’s already engaged to someone else.

Packed with true-life stories from the Panic trenches as well as indispensable advice, The Panic Years is the ultimate guide for anyone who wants to survive her single years (with sanity intact), snag her perfect guy, and remain fabulous throughout it all.

Saying “I do” on a gorgeous Caribbean Island isn’t just for celebrities anymore! iÞ ÃÊUÊ iÃÌ >Ì Ê7i`` }ÃÊ -> `> ÃÊ,ià ÀÌÃÊUÊ Õ« iÃÊUÊ Ã iÞÊÊ

ÀÕ ÃiÃÊUÊ, Þ> Ê >À LLi> ÊUÊ >À Û>

ÊUÊ ÕÀ «i> Ê iÞ Ã

> Ê508-678-5263 v ÀÊÌ iÊ >ÃÌiÃÌÊ«À V }Ê> `Ê>Û> >L ÌÞ

{äÊ* i>Ã> ÌÊ-ÌÀiiÌÊUÊ- iÀÃiÌ]Ê

> Êxän ÈÇn xÓÈÎÊqÊ Ã Êv ÀÊ*>Ì i > \ÊÌÀ>Û JV V>ÃÌ° iÌ

ÜÜÜ°ÌÀ>Ûi Ûi°V

s State-of-the-art equipment sÊ Û À i Ì> ÞÊÃ>viÊUÊ* ÕÌ ÊvÀii s Absolutely no solvent smell s Alterations: drapes, furs and leathers s Storage: winter and summer s Same day service s Drive-thru window service s Open extended hours

£ÓÇÎÊ ° °,°Ê } Ü>ÞÊUÊ- iÀÃiÌ]Ê

508-675-5588

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

33

THE PLACE TO “GO” FOR

FREE CLASSIFIEDS

Buy Sell Jobs Real Estate Arts /Entertainment & More - ÕÌ >ÃÌ °V Ê ÃÊ>ÊvÀiiÊÃiÀÛ ViÊ v

>ÃÌ> Ê Õ V>Ì ÃÊ À«°] «ÕL Ã iÀÊ vÊThe South Coast Insider > `ÊSouth Coast Prime Times

Coming next month

REGIONAL NEWS

CONFESSIONS OF A PUBLIC SERVANT

by Stephen Smith

“MY NAME IS STEPHEN and I am a planner.”

munity concerns ahead of individual initia-

I often feel that those are the appropri-

tive? Aren’t they public sector do-gooders

ate words to introduce myself at public

who should be cutting their teeth in the real

meetings because so many people hold my

world of the private sector?

profession suspect. After all, aren’t “planners” those bureaucrats who want to tell us

citizens of Southeastern Massachusetts

how to use our land by proposing zoning?

and I want to make our area a better place

How socialist.

to live.

Don’t planners support commuter rail and

Planners work to improve our collective

transit authorities when we have perfectly

wealth, not our individual bank accounts.

good cars? Don’t planners want to preserve

We often focus on those items that cannot

farms and open space while depriving us of

easily be measured monetarily—such as

good taxable development opportunities?

clean air and water, open space, less con-

Don’t planners advocate for higher density housing rather than uniform large lot subdivisions? Don’t planners place com-

Here’s to Your Health Special Advertising Sections: Finances and Home Improvement

Call 508-677-3000

Stephen Smith has been Executive Director of SRPEDD since 1983

34

I plead guilty as charged. I work for the

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

gestion on our roads, and a better quality of life.

We planners often encounter resistance

to our ideas, mostly centered around two

ety’s collective needs, but we are currently

points: restriction of individual freedoms

out of balance. Public discussion of taxes

and more taxes to pay for common needs.

never seems to focus on what we get for

Once again, I plead guilty, but not without a

our money, the “return on investment,” in

vigorous defense.

economic parlance. People seem obsessed

When planners propose zoning changes,

with the involuntary nature of the contribu-

we usually hear some variation of this argu-

tion and the perceived inefficiency of the

ment: “You cannot tell me how I can use

public sector.

my land.” After all, doesn’t zoning restrict

It is the responsibility of planners and oth-

what can be done with one’s property by

ers in the public sector to make the case.

dictating the type of use and the dimen-

There is strong resistance to spending

sions of that use? Of course it does, but

money on Massachusetts’ infrastructure

good zoning should not unreasonably

because of the well documented problems with the Big Dig. But

restrict a landowner’s rights as long as they don’t infringe on the neighbors.

The right to do as I please on my land does not extend to dumping waste that will contaminate my neighbor’s well. It does not allow me to conduct an activity that is detrimental to the neighborhood by creating excessive traffic, noise or odor.

Our legally protected property rights do not include the right to infringe upon our greater community responsibilities.

PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS PROMISED TO IGNITE A NEW SPIRIT OF PUBLIC SERVICE. LET US HOPE THAT HE IS SUCCESSFUL AND THAT IT EXTENDS ALL THE WAY TO THE SOUTH COAST.

the cost of asphalt, steel and concrete has risen dramatically and we have bridges that are falling down and roads with potholes worse than Baghdad (that were also created with our tax dollars).

If you want that flat screen TV you have to pay for it. If you want safe bridges and smooth roads, you have to pay for them as well. There is no free lunch.

We need to hold our public servants to a high standard of performance and accountability, and most meet

What about taxes?

They are funds collected from all of us

those high standards. But we cannot use a few bad apples as an excuse for inaction.

and spent for our collective benefit on

After all, would we defer buying a television

schools, transportation, public safety, con-

because of an executive scandal at Sony?

sumer protection, and the like. Because of

Not likely.

the collective nature of these expenditures,

President Obama has promised to ignite

we are not usually aware of the use of every

a new spirit of public service. Let us hope

tax dollar. It’s a pretty normal reaction to

that he is successful and that it extends

want to spend our money on a new flat

all the way to the South Coast. When we

screen television rather than on improved

start thinking more about us and less about

audio-visual equipment at the high school.

me, we’ll all be better off—individually and

Of course, there must be a balance

collectively.

between our individual needs and sociThe South Coast Insider / February 2009

35

THINGS TO DO

Celebrate Carnaval Z style in New Bedford

36

Fly to the Z to celebrate with DanceBrazil.

NAN MELVILLE

IN CELEBRATION OF CARNAVAL, the Zeiterion Performing Arts center is hosting a week long celebration of dance workshops, Capoeira, mask making and fanfare from February 17-20. On Friday night, February 20, the week long festivities will come to a pinnacle embracing the true meaning and fun of Carnaval.

Friday nights’ celebration will start as patrons board the music filled trolley for a ride to Café Funchal. During the ride everyone will receive a Carnaval mask and Brazilian beads for this festive occasion.

When the patrons arrive at Café Funchal they will enjoy a bountiful Brazilian buffet and a delicious traditional drink Caipirinha, (ky-purina) Brazil’s national cocktail, made with cachaça, sugar and lime. Cachaça is Brazil’s most common distilled alcoholic beverage.

After dinner the patrons will return to the theater for a show stopping spectacular of dance, samba and Capoeira performed by the incredibly talented dancers and musicians of DanceBrazil.

DanceBrazil brings to the stage the sounds and sights of Brazilan music and dance. The Samba comes from the West African heritage of Brazil and the infectious rhythms and contagious beat are intrinsically linked with Carnaval. The pounding drums get into your bloodstream, your feet start moving and before you know it, you’re dancing! Samba and Bossa Nova, popular around the world, are only two of the many rhythms so fundamental in Brazilian culture.

The rhythms of Capoeira, the Brazilian dance/martial art form, are a driving force throughout the performance of DanceBrazil.

The rarely heard or performed Samba de Roda Reconcava also sets the pace for much of the dance. Only a demanding fusion of speed, power, precision and lyricism could do justice to these vital rhythms as they come together in a stunning

choreographed performance—but of course that fusion is the trademark of the dancers, capoeristas and musicians of DanceBrazil.

What is Carnaval anyway? Hundreds and hundreds of years ago, the followers of the Catholic religion in Italy started the tradition of holding a wild costume festival right before the first day of Lent. Because Catholics are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they called their festival, carnevale—which means “to put away the meat.” As time passed, carnivals in Italy became quite famous; and soon the practice spread to France, Spain, and all the Catholic countries in Europe and with that they brought with them their own tradition of celebrating.

The Brazilian Carnival, or Carnaval in

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

Portuguese, is an annual festival in Brazil held four days before Ash Wednesday and marks the beginning of Lent. Brazilian Carnival as a whole exhibits some differences with its counterparts in Europe and other parts of the world, and within Brazil it has distinct regional manifestations. Brazilian citizens used to riot until the Carnival was accepted by the government as an expression of culture. That was because the Brazilian carnival had its origin in a Portuguese festivity called “entrudo.”

Join the international celebration of excess with Brazilian music, food, drink and dance.

Contact the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center Box Office or visit www.zeiterion.org for ticket information, dinner packages and ticket upgrades.

Providing state-of-the-art, surgical and medical care Treating bones, joints, ligaments, muscles and arthritis

Joint Replacement U Sports Medicine U Arthroscopic Surgery U Shoulder Surgery U Hand Surgery U Foot Deformities Spine Surgery (limited) U Pediatric Orthopedic Care U Orthopedic Trauma Care 24/7 Emergency Room care only in Charlton Memorial Hospital

UÊÓÎxÊ > ÛiÀÊ-ÌÀiiÌ]Ê > Ê, ÛiÀ

UÊnx£Ê > Ê-ÌÀiiÌ]Ê7>ÀÀi ]Ê,

UÊn{Ê À>«iÊ-ÌÀiiÌ]Ê iÜÊ i`v À`

UÊ££näÊ «iÊ-ÌÀiiÌ]Ê À ÃÌ ]Ê, Ê ÊÊÊ­ À ÃÌ Ê i` V> Ê i ÌiÀ®

UÊ£n£ÈÊ > Ê, >`]Ê/ ÛiÀÌ ]Ê,

(508) 646-9525

www.coastal-orthopaedics.com

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

37

HAPPENINGS THROUGH FEBRUARY 2 – Hope Gallery presents Art in the Window. Original art will be presented in the display window during the gallery’s winter break. Art will change weekly and be available for purchase. 435 Hope St, Bristol. Call 401-396-9117 for gallery hours or visit www. hopegalleryfineartfinecraft.com THROUGH FEBRUARY 7 – Remembrance, a memorial dedicated to U.S. servicemen and women who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and to those who continue to serve. Opening reception, Dec. 16, 5-7pm. Cherry and Webb Gallery, 139 South Main Street, Fall River. MonFri. 9-5pm. Call 508-679-8419 or visit www.candwgallery.org or www.remembrance-iraqafghan. com THROUGH-FEBRUARY 7 – ArtWorks! presents two new exhibits, Antoine Ferreira: “Dreamz in Kolor” and Olga Tsareva: “In Search for Equilibrium.”

384 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford. Hours: Tue.-Sat. 12-5pm and til 9pm on AHA! Nights (second Thur. of every month). For more information, call 508-984-1588 or visit www.artworksforyou.org THROUGH FEBRUARY 15 – Awake and Sing!,

by Clifford Odets. Gritty, passionate, funny and heartbreaking, Odets’ 1935 multi-generational masterpiece beautifully captures the hopes and struggles of an unforgettable American family. At the Sandra Gamm Theatre, 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket. Call 401-723-4266 or visit www.gammtheatre.org THROUGH FEBRUARY 15 – 2nd Story Theatre presents Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. 28 Market Street, Warren. Call 401-247-4200 or visit www.2ndstorytheatre.com.

THROUGH FEBRUARY 28 – Simple Pleasures Remembered, Watercolors by Andrew Kusmin.

Narrows Center for the Arts, 16 Anawan St, Fall River. Hours: Wed.-Sat., 12-5pm and by appointment. Free. All concert ticket-holders are also welcome to view the exhibition on performance night. Call 508-324-1926 for more information or visit www.ncfta.org JANUARY 29- FEBRUARY 1 – Providence Boat Show. Rhode Island Convention Center, One Sabin Street, Providence. Thur.12pm-9pm, Fri.12pm9pm and Sat.10am-9pm, and Sun.10am-5pm. $10, children under 12 years free with an adult.

For information call 401-458-6000 or visit www. providenceboatshow.com JANUARY 30-31, FEBRUARY 1 – The Youth Musical Theater Corp. presents The Wizard of Oz, Frank L. Baum’s classic tale. At the Margaret L. Jackson Performing Arts Center, Bristol Community College, 777 Elsbree Street, Fall River. Fri. and Sat. at 7pm, Sun. at 2pm. For ticket information call 508-674-9703 or visit www.ymtc. org FEBRUARY 1 – Seeing White, at Gallery 297 located at 297 Hope Street, 2nd floor, Bristol.

Exhibit of all 37 gallery artists working in media from pottery to painting, printmaking, pencil and photography. The color “White” will be the focus.

Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10am-6pm and Sun. 12-5pm.

Call 401-253-5005 for more information or visit www.gallery297.com

38

FEBRUARY 1-28 – UMass Dartmouth College Of Visual & Performing Arts hosts the George & Helen Spelvin Folk Art Collection at the New Bedford Star Store Campus, 715 Purchase St. 9am-6pm. Free. Wheelchair access. Call 508-999-8555 or visit www.umassd.edu/cvpa

FEBRUARY 7 – New Bedford Community Connections 7th Annual Take This Child To Heart Fundraiser. Century House, 107 South Main Street, Acushnet. 8pm-12am. $50 person. Call 508-994-9625, ext. 21 or visit www.nbcommunityconnections.org

FEBRUARY 1, 8, 15, 22 – Sunday Tales and Trails, Audubon Environmental Education Center, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol. 12:30-1:30pm. No preregistration required. Call 401-245-7500 for more information or visit www.asri.org

FEBRUARY 7 – The Tri-County Symphonic Band presents “Grainger, Gershwin and Gregson” with Stephen Dumaine. Gilbert D. Bristol Auditorium, Old Rochester Regional High School, 135 Marion Road, Mattapoisett. 3pm. Admission $10, students $5 and children under 5 free. For more information visit www.tricountysymphonicband.org

FEBRUARY 2 – Groundhog Day at Buttonwood Park Zoo. Join children and parents of all ages in searching for animal shadows at the zoo in honor of the groundhog. 425 Hawthorn Street, New Bedford.10am- 5pm. Free with Zoo admission.

For more information call 508-991-4556 or visit www.bpz.org FEBRUARY 2, 9, 16, 23 – Toe Jam Puppet Band at Buttonwood Park Zoo. Join the Zoo every Monday and sing, dance and play with the coolest kids band in town! Located at 425 Hawthorn Street, New Bedford. Shows at 10:30am and 12:30pm. Admission $5 per family with Zoo fee.

Call 508-991-4556 or visit www.bpzoo.org FEBRUARY 4 – New Bedford Whaling Museum presents, “Man & Whales: Changing Views Through Time Lecture Series. 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford. 6:30pm. Museum members and children under 6 free. Non-members $10, $9, $6. Museum is fully accessible. Call 508-997-0046 or visit www.whalingmuseum.org.

FEBRUARY 5 – Heart and Soul: A Valentine’s 70’s Soul Jam Celebration. Relive the memories one more time with the Stylistics, Harold and the Blue Notes, and the Chi-lites. Special guest host Jimmy “J.J”. Walker. 7:30pm. $38-$78.

At Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset Street, Providence. Call 401-421-2997 for more information and to purchase tickets or visit www.ppacri.org FEBRUARY 5 – Winter Birding in Southern New England, Audubon Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, 301 Brown Avenue,Seekonk. Explore birds and where to find them. $10 members, $15 non-members.

Call 401-949-5454, ext. 3019 to register or visit www.asri.org FEBRUARY 6-APRIL 24 – “In the Spirit of Love”.

Hope Gallery features artwork that resonates with the spirit of love and presents twenty local, regional and national artists selling and displaying unique and affordable fine art and fine craft. 434 Hope Street, Bristol. Thurs. and Sat. 12-5pm or call 401-683-0146 to schedule an appointment.

For more information call 401-396-9117 or visit www.hopegalleryfineartfinecraft.com FEBRUARY 7 – Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams. One of the best known and loved bands in their home state of New York. 933 Anthony Road, Portsmouth. 8pm. $20. Call for more information 401-683-5085 or visit www.commonfencemusic.org FEBRUARY 7 – Dave Bromberg and the Angel Band. Narrows Center for the Arts, 16 Anawan St, Fall River. 8pm. Tickets $50 in advance, $55 day of the show. Call 508-324-1926 for more information or visit www.ncfta.org

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

FEBRUARY 7 – New Bedford Symphony Orchestra presents “Aspects of Love” A Valentine Concert.

684 Purchase Street, New Bedford. Preconcert prelude 6:45-7:15pm. Concert at 8pm.

Tickets $20, $30, $40, $50, students $10. Call 508-994-2900 for more information or visit www. nbsymphony.org FEBRUARY 9-13 – Valentine’s Day Cookie Decorating at Buttonwood Park Zoo. 425 Hawthorn Street, New Bedford. 11am-3pm.

Admission is Zoo fee plus $2 per cookie. Call 508-991-4556 for more information or visit www. bpzoo.org FEBRUARY 10-15 – Fiddler on the Roof. In what is a huge theatrical feat, audiences will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to see Chaim Topol, star of the original motion picture, perform the role that made him legendary. Fiddler on the Roof is a timeless classic.Tues 7pm, Wed.7:30pm, Thurs.

7:30pm, Fri. 8pm, Sat.2pm and 8pm, Sun. 1pm and 6:30pm. $43-$70. At Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset Street, Providence.

Call 401-421-2997 for more information and to purchase tickets or visit www.ppacri.org FEBRUARY 11 – Coryell, Auger, Sampler Trio.

The sons of three jazz legends come together to make some incredible music. Narrows Center for the Arts, 16 Anawan St, Fall River. 8pm. Tickets $13 in advance, $15 day of the show. Call 508-324-1926 for more information or visit www. ncfta.org FEBRUARY 12 –Rhode Island Historical Society presents An Evening with Lincoln. Actor Robb Dimmick will present his acclaimed performance of President Lincoln, entitle A Lincoln Portrait.

7:30pm, doors open at 7. $5, free for members.

At the First Unitarian Church, 1 Benevolent Street, Providence. For more information and to RSVP call 401-331-8575, ext. 45 or visit www. rihs.org FEBRUARY 13 – AHA! New Bedford presents Lincoln 200. Celebrate the 200th birthday of our 16th president, a much admired and remarkable man, who brought about the emancipation of the slaves. National Park Visitor Center, 33 William Street, New Bedford. 5-9pm. Free. Call 508-996-8253 or visit www.ahanewbedford.org FEBRUARY 13 – New Bedford Historical Society presents “Traces of the Trade-Massachusetts and the Economy of Slavery. New Bedford Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford.

6-8:45pm. Free and open to the public. Call 508-979-8828 for more information or visit www. newbedfordhistory.org

FEBRUARY 13 – She’s back! Zeiterion Performing Arts Center presents Loretta Laroche’s Women In Comedy Tour. 1359 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford. 8pm. $35. Call 508-994-2900 for more information or visit www.zeiterion.org FEBRUARY 13 – 6th Annual Tribute to George Harrison at White’s of Westport, 66 State Road, Westport. 5pm. All proceeds benefit cancer research. $12 advanced tickets, $15 at the door. Call 508-675-7185 for more information or visit www. lafrancehospitality.com or www.og-rocks.com FEBRUARY 13-22 – The 2009 Newport Winter Festival. Purchase a Winter Festival button and receive free admission or significant discounts to events. For more information call 401-847-7666 or visit www.newportevents.com/winterfest/ FEBRUARY 14 – Hepcats Swing Dance. Music provided by dj’s Joe and Andy Perrone.7:30pm11pm. $8 admission includes free beginner lessons (7:30-8pm), free refreshments. First Congregational Church, 34 Center Street, Fairhaven. Call 508- 994-2214 for more information or visit www.havetodance.com/ss/dancing. html FEBRUARY 14 – Craft an Animal Valentine’s Day Card at Buttonwood Park Zoo. Using stamps and stickers, create fun Valentine’s Day cards inspired by the animal kingdom. 425 Hawthorn Street, New Bedford. 1-4pm. Free with Zoo fee. Call 508-991-4556 or visit www.bpzoo.org FEBRUARY 15 – Zoo Bingo:Valentine’s Day Family Bingo at Roger Williams Park Zoo, 1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence. For more information and to purchase tickets call 401-785-3510, ext. 343 or visit www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org FEBRUARY 15 – Fall River Symphony Orchestra.

Performance by the winners of the Annual Young Artists Competition, featuring Catherine LiVolsi on violin and Brea Warner on viola. Bristol Community Commonwealth College Center, 777 Elsbree Street, Fall River. 3pm. $15. Call 401-635-2401for more information or visit www. fallriversymphonyorchestra.org FEBRUARY 19 – Daniel Mark Epstein on tour for his book, Lincoln’s Men: The President and his Private Secretaries. Daniel Mark Epstein is a biographer, poet, and dramatist whose work has been widely published and performed.

Brown University Bookstore, 244 Thayer Street, Providence. 4pm. For more information call 401-863-3168 or visit www.bookstore.brown.edu FEBRUARY 19 – Kids Day at the Academy Building. Members of the Fairhaven Village Militia in period costume host a special day for children at the historical Academy Building.

Learn about the games and play with the toys that colonial children played with more than 200 years ago. 10am-2pm. Academy Building, west lawn of Fairhaven High School, 12 Huttleston Avenue, Fairhaven. Call 508-979-4085 for more information.

FEBRUARY 19-22 – Rhode Island Spring Garden and Flower Show. Rhode Island Convention Center, 1 Sabin Street, Providence. Thurs. through Sat.10am-9pm, Sun.10am-6pm. For general show information call 401-272-0980 or visit www.flowershow.com

FEBRUARY 20-MARCH 8 – Perishable Theatre kicks off the new year with the world premiere of Bad Money. For ticket purchase contact ArtTix at 401-621-6123 or online at www.arttixri.com. For general information call 401-331-2695 or visit www.perishable.org Recheck dates.

FEBRUARY 20-22 – Stomp returns to PPAC. Described as explosive, provocative, sophisticated, sexy, and utterly unique, Stomp appeals to audiences of all ages. Call 401-421-2997 for more information and to purchase tickets or visit www.ppacri.org FEBRUARY 20 – Dance Brazil is at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center. Kick off Carnaval weekend with live Samba music, the thrilling Brazilian martial art form of Capoeira and electrifying dance that come together in an incredible performance. 684 Purchase St. New Bedford, 8pm. $36.50. Call 508-994-2900 for more information or visit www.zeiterion.org FEBRUARY 21 – Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill.

Martin Hayes is regarded as one of the most extraordinary talents to emerge in the world of Irish traditional music and Dennis Cahill is a master guitarist. The duo perform at the peak of their combined talents. Common Fence Point, 933 Anthony Road, Portsmouth. 8pm. $25. Call for more information 401-683-5085 or visit www. commonfencemusic.org FEBRUARY 21 – The legendary Duke Robillard visits the Narrows. Guitaris, bandleader, songwriter, singer, produce, session musician and a one-man cheering section for the blues, in all its forms and permutations. Narrows Center for the Arts, 16 Anawan St, Fall River. 8pm. Tickets $20 in advance, $23 day of the show. Call 508-324-1926 for more information or visit www.ncfta.org FEBRUARY 21 – Newport Baroque presents: “An Evening of Bach Cantatas and Sonatas”. 7pm at The Smith Center for the Arts at Providence College, 333 Eaton Ave., Providence. A free will offering will be taken to benefit Providence College scholarships. Call 401-855-3096 or visit www.newportbaroque.org FEBRUARY 21 – Off the Beaten Path: A Jazz and Tap Odyssey, The Auditorium at Roberts Hall, 600 Mount Pleasant Avenue, Rhode Island College, Providence. 7:30 pm. Call 401456-8144 for ticket information or visit www.ric. edu/pfa/pas.php FEBRUARY 22 – Historic Teas and Strings Music. The Fairhaven Colonial Club invites the residents of Fairhaven to celebrate the town’s birthday at its 97th annual Historical Tea. 2-4pm.

Free. Coggeshall Memorial House, 6 Cherry Street, Fairhaven. For more information call 508-979-4085.

FEBRUARY 22 – Community Concert Series: Matt Richard Quintet & Mardi Gras Dinner at First Congregational Church, 34 Center Street, Fairhaven, dinner 5:30pm., concert 7pm. A Mardi Gras dinner will be served before the concert, beginning at 5:30pm. Concert tickets are $10 for adults, school age children free with a paid adult. Dinner tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Dinner reservations are recommended.

Concert tickets are available at the door. For more

information or reservations, call 508-993-3368 or email fccs@comcast.net

FEBRUARY 24 – New Bedford Whaling Museum starts it’s 19th Sailor Series with “Southern Seahawk: A Novel of the Civil War at Sea” Join author Randall S. Peffer for a lecture and book signing. 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford.

6:30pm. $15 members, $18 non-members.

Museum is fully accessible. Call 508-997-0046 or visit www.whalingmuseum.org.

FEBRUARY 27 – The New Shanghai Circus is at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center. Enjoy a breathtaking show of fabulous choreography, amazing lighting, enchanting scenery and powerful music. 684 Purchase Street, New Bedford, at 7pm. $35, $25. For more information call 508-994-2900 or visit www.zeiterion.org FEBRUARY 27 – Leon Redbone at the Narrows.

Narrows Center for the Arts, 16 Anawan St, Fall River. 8pm. Tickets $25 in advance, $28 day of the show. Call 508-324-1926 for more information or visit www.ncfta.org FEBRUARY 28– Boston author Richard Fountain invites mystery enthusiasts to a book signing. On tour for his book The Wellwishers (Silver Dagger Mysteries). Barnes and Noble, 392 State Road Route 6, North Dartmouth. Call 508- 997-0701 for more information or visit www.richardfountain. com FEBRUARY 28 – The Ebony Hillbillie at the Point.

Common Fence Point, 933 Anthony Road, Portsmouth. 8pm. $30. Call for more information 401-683-5085 or visit www.commonfencemusic. org FEBRUARY 28 – The Boys of the Lough, one of the finest bands in Celtic Traditional music and the first of the full-time professional Celtic bands, performing together since 1967. Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, 684 Purchase Street, New Bedford.

8pm. $30. Call 508-994-2900 for more information or visit www.zeiterion.org FEBRUARY 28 – Blues and Roots Musician Seth Walker in concert. Heavily influenced by guitar players-BB King, T Bone Walker, and Snooks Eaglin to name just a few, Seth also has a great gift for songwriting in the blues idiom. Narrows Center for the Arts, 16 Anawan St, Fall River.

8pm. Tickets $15 in advance, $17 day of the show. Call 508-324-1926 for more information or visit www.ncfta.org FEBRUARY 28 – Untamed 26 Mixed Martial Arts Event. The 1st Mixed Martial Arts Event Presented

by Full Force-30 contenders, 15 scheduled fights, pound for pound MMA. Compared to the televised UFC & WEC this event will have you on the edge of your seats. Whites of Westport, 66 State Road, Westport. 6:30pm. $40-$110. Ages 18 and up. For more information call 800-504-5511 or visit www.cueentertainment.webs.com

We’ve moved to a new online calendar system.

Visit TheSouthCoastInsider.com to see what’s going on!

The South Coast Insider / February 2009

39

Attention Home Owners!

GREATER NEW BEDFORD HOME SHOW 2009 Greater New Bedford Regional Voc-Tech 1121 Ashley Blvd., New Bedford, MA

Call ahead for refills 508-672-6911 s Easy Prescription Transfers s Delivery Service s Blood Pressure Monitoring s Flu Vaccine Clinics s Most Insurance Plans Accepted

s Specialty Packaging s 24 hour Refill Line s Utility Payments s Money Orders s Postage Stamps s Massachusetts State Lottery

STANDARD MY NEIGHBORHOOD PHARMACY Ó{ÈÊ >ÃÌÊ > Ê-ÌÀiiÌÊUÊ > Ê, ÛiÀ]Ê fax 508-677-2952

40

February 2009 / The South Coast Insider

GRAND PRIZE DRAWING

$1,000 Home Improvement Give-Away!

Saturday, March 7 10 am - 5 pm Sunday, March 8 10 am - 4 pm

$3 Admission Children 12 & under FREE For more information call 508-999-5231 x26 The Greater New Bedford Home Show is co-sponsored by the New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce and Southcoast Media Group

Prostate cancer patients call it a miracle.

The da Vinci robotic surgical system is the world’s most advanced way to remove a cancerous prostate. It offers the cancer control of traditional prostate surgery, but is less invasive and more precise — with less risk of damaging nerves that control urinary continence and erectile function.

LESS INVASIVE. Using a few very small incisions

means less trauma, less blood loss and quicker recovery.

MORE PRECISE. Less risk of damaging nerves that

control urinary continence and erectile function, and a faster return to normal activities. da VINCI PROSTATE SURGERY AT SOUTHCOAST.

da Vinci Robotic-Assisted Surgery ®

Take a very skilled surgeon.

Magnify his vision 10 times.

Give him 4 arms and hands that turn 360 degrees.

A new choice — and new hope — for prostate cancer patients.

Have him hold tiny surgical instruments.

To boldly — and delicately — go where no surgeon’s hands have gone before.

ance d prostate surgery on the p ost adv m e h lanet T —

To learn more, ask your doctor or visit southcoast.org/davinci.

Call 800-497-1727 for your FREE informational kit about robotic-assisted prostate surgery at Southcoast.

and it’s h e

als. re at Southcoast Hospit

Visit Your KOHLER速 Registered Showroom

145 Faunce Corner Road | North Dartmouth, MA | 508.997.5466

Tue. & Thu. 10am-8pm | Wed. & Fri. 10am-5pm | Sat. 9am-4pm | Closed Sun. & Mon.

www.thebathcove.com

305R Oliphant Lane | Middletown, RI | 401.846.8680

Mon.- Fri. 10am- 5pm | Sat. 8am-12pm | Closed Sun.