The South Coast Insider - October 2015

October 2015 Vol. 19 / No. 10

coastalmags.com

Farms

in focus

Organized organics

Crazy for cranberries

Chowder power

Overcoming gluten

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contents In every issue

140 Purchase St. Fall River, MA 1,925 sq. ft./1st floor

OCTOBER 2015

4 From the publisher 32 Dateline: South Coast

By Elizabeth Morse Read

COVER STORY

6

By DAN LOGAN

By JAY PATEAKOS

10

FOOD NOTES

18 Overcoming gluten

By BOB COOK

ON MY MIND

38 The man under the bridge

By PAUL E. KANDARIAN

Celebrating cranberries

Southcoast farming

22 The shortcut to happiness

By Elizabeth Morse Read

BUSINESS BUZZ Off-street parking (16 spaces), handicap accessible, separate zoned heating (gas HVAC), electric, cable, and city water and sewer make this downtown Fall River location a prime deal in a prime area. Walk to the courthouses, library, City Hall, Registry of Deeds and other businesses—plus it’s conveniently located near Interstate 195.

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Bernard P. Giroux 150 Purchase Street, Fall River, MA 508-677-9500 Office 774-273-3278 Mobile

2

October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

12

By STACIE CHARBONNEAU HESS

By JAY PATEAKOS

Farm in focus

14 Organized organics THINGS TO DO

8

Seafoam, soups, and smiles

By Sean McCarthy

20 South Coast dining

By JOYCE ROWLEY

30 Books and boulevards

By Michael J. Vieira

ON THE COVER It’s time to put farms in focus – whether it’s a farm stand on the side of the road or a tucked-away local farm, make sure you enjoy the bounty of the South Coast.

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FROM THE PUBLISHER October 2015 / Vol. 19 / No. 10

Published by

Coastal Communications Corp.

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Say goodbye to green and hello to fall! There’s nothing

Ljiljana Vasiljevic

like autumn on the South Coast—it’s the time of year when

Editor

we really come into our own. From the smell of the leaves

Sebastian Clarkin

to the sight of the harvest, it’s a beautiful time to make the

Online Editor

most of the region.

Paul Letendre

Contributors

Stacie Charbonneau-Hess, Bob Cook, Paul E. Kandarian, Dan Logan, Tom Lopes, Sean McCarthy, Jay Pateakos, Elizabeth Morse Read, Joyce Rowley, Michael J. Vieira 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 ©2015 Coastal Communications Corp.

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.

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Ripe cranberries are a sure sign of the season. On page 6, Dan Logan explores the 12th Annual Cranberry Harvest Celebration in Wareham. That’s about as South Coast as it gets!

If you’re more interested in the “Coast,” then turn to page 8 to read Sean McCarthy’s article on the New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival. From clam chowder, to kale soup, to the smell of the sea, it’s a perfect opportunity to enjoy the water before it gets too chilly.

During the harvest season, it’s important to recognize the men and women who work the fields and tend to the animals. On page 10, Jay Pateakos delves into the current condition of the South Coast farmer. On page 12, Stacie Charbonneau-Hess gives a personal look into her relationship with a local farm.

Maybe you’re more interested in eating, rather than growing, food. In that case, Joyce Rowley has few great eateries to recommend to you on page 20.

Whatever your pleasure may be, you’re sure to find it this month, even as the long sleeves start to come on. So get ready for some brisk nights and fun days!

Address

The South Coast Insider 144 Purchase Street Fall River, MA 02722

Phone

(508) 677-3000

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editor@coastalmags.com Our advertisers make this publication possible— please support them.

4

October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

Ljiljana Vasiljevic Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

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The South Coast Insider / October 2015

5

COVER STORY

Celebrating cranberries

by Dan Logan

The official state berry gets its full due at the 12th Annual Cranberry Harvest Celebration in Wareham on October 10 and 11. olumbus Day weekend typically serves up the last fair weather round of agricultural festivals before cooler weather sets in. The foliage is usually near its peak, and the bright red of southeastern Massachusetts’ cranberries is one of the prominent colors on the region’s early fall color chart.

Hosted by A.D. Makepeace, the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association, and Ocean Spray Cranberries, the harvest celebration is both non -stop family-oriented entertainment and an intriguing educational experience. It’s an opportunity to learn how the area’s most valuable crop is grown and makes its way to market.

CRAN CRAZY

To get there, aim your GPS for Makepeace headquarters in Tihonet Village at 158 Tihonet Road in Wareham and look for the signs for parking. From the parking areas, visitors are shuttled to the event areas. The parking and shuttle transportation are free.

CURIOUS CROP

Massachusetts is second only to Wisconsin in cranberry output. Massachusetts produces nearly a quarter of the nation’s cranberries, the crop having a market value of nearly $100 million, according to Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources statistics.

The heart of Massachusetts cranberry production is right here. According to the A.D. Makepeace Company website, Makepeace farms roughly 1750 acres of bogs in Carver, Middleboro, Plymouth, Rochester, and Wareham.

More than 30,000 visitors attend over the two days the Cranberry Harvest Celebration is held, says Linda Burke, vice president of marketing and communication for Makepeace.

6

October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

vendors in the farmers’ market area, 20 food vendors, and 18 nonprofits and sponsors with booths were booked to set up shop at the festival. Among the vendors are numerous handcrafted jewelry makers, Westport Rivers Vineyards, Big Rock Oysters, Ocean Spray, and the Wankinquoah Rod and Gun Club with its well-regarded lobster rolls.

Harpoon Brewery will be on hand with samples of its Grateful Harvest beer, a seasonal brew made using A.D. Makepeace Company cranberries. A portion of beer sales proceeds are donated annually to local food banks. (Beer isn’t sold at the festival.)

Cooking demonstrations will be held in the village, with Johnson and Wales students and chefs cooking from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. on Saturday, and students and chefs from the Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School cooking from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. on Sunday.

KNEE-DEEP

Some of the action takes place right there in Tihonet Village on Tihonet Pond, where there will be food concessions, arts and crafts vendors, and a farmers’ market.

As of this writing, 51 crafters and exhibitors, 19

There’s even more happening about a mile away from Tihonet Village at Frogfoot Bog, which is actually in Plymouth near the Carver town line. (Shuttles will provide transportation.)

Frogfoot Bog is a newer, carefully planned 140acre cranberry bog that offers glimpses into the future of cranberry farming. Unlike many bogs, it’s rectangular and takes advantage of improved technologies and bog management practices, making it more efficient to irrigate than the oddly shaped older bogs that developed over the years.

At Frogfoot Bog there will be a demonstration of wet harvesting the cranberries, where floating collars called booms are used to herd tons of colorful floating berries into an ever-shrinking circle, from which they can be pumped into big trucks and transported to processing plants. An observation deck enables visitors to see the pumping process close up.

Cranberries are also dry harvested, and the dry harvesting process will also be demonstrated.

There’ll be live music by Grace Morrison (Frogfoot Bogs, Saturday, 10–11 a.m., noon–1 p.m. and 2–3 p.m.), Four Bridges (Frogfoot Bogs, Sunday, 10–11 a.m., noon–1 p.m. and 2–3 p.m.), and Daddy-O (Tihonet Village, Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.).

At the Frogfoot Bog location on both Saturday and Sunday, Eyes on Owls shows off its roster of owls, a demonstration that is very popular with visitors.

Showtimes are 11 a.m.–noon, 1–2 p.m. and 3–4 p.m.

The educational aspect of the celebration is balanced by the rest of the goings-on. More vendor booths will be found at Frogfoot, as well as free wagon rides around the bogs, pony rides, and there’s a train for small children. For $40 you can take a helicopter ride over the bog. Paddleboats are also available on Tihonet Pond for a fee.

Battleship Brewfest Sunday, October 11 12:30-4:30pm 21+ Event

Join the museum for its 4th annual beer and food tasting event aboard the USS Massachusetts. Sample beers from craft and import breweries while enjoying great food and live music.

Save the date

The 12th Annual Cranberry Harvest Celebration is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine (vendor areas are located under big tents). General admission is $10, $5 for seniors and military with ID. Children under 7 get in free (part of the admission fee goes to local nonprofit organizations that help staff the event and to local food pantries). Except for service animals, pets and other animals are not allowed. Be prepared for a fair amount of walking over a variety of surfaces. Handicap-accessible transportation is available.

Cranberry harvesting extends into November.

After the Columbus Day weekend celebration winds up, public cranberry bog tours will be held Saturday October 17, Saturday October 31, and Wednesday November 11. The 90-minute tour costs $12 per person (free for children under 7 and active or veteran military personnel). All tours start at 10 a.m. at Makepeace Farms at 158 Tihonet Road in Wareham.

The tours are held rain or shine but particularly severe weather may cause a tour to be postponed or cancelled. Guests are transported by bus to the cranberry bogs. Dress for wet or muddy conditions, but you won’t have to do much walking.

Advance registration is required for these tours. To sign up, call 508-728-6722 or on the web visit bit.ly/ BogTours2015.

Private group tours of the bogs may also be arranged year-round.

More information can be found at www.

CranberryHarvest.org.

$40 in advance, $45 at the door.

Please call 508-678-1100 ext.

101/102 for tickets and information. 21+ event. Must have valid ID.

5 Water Street Fall River, MA 02721 508-678-1100 www.battleshipcove.org

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The South Coast Insider / October 2015

7

THINGS TO DO

Seafoam, soups, and

By Sean McCarthy

The working waterfront has been a significant catalyst for the New Bedford Renaissance. In the mid-1800s it was the richest port in the world, and in recent years it has echoed that success, becoming the richest in the nation.

The surrounding region has prospered along with it.

Food with friends

On the afternoon of Sunday, October 18, from noon to 5 p.m. the city will celebrate its oceanside culture with the Tenth Annual New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival – an event that provides guests an array of food and entertainments that specialize in some of the things that this port city does best.

“This event is great publicity for the area. People need to know about what is available here and that they don’t have to go to Boston or Providence for quality food,” says Louis DaSilva, General Manager of The Black Whale, the restaurant that won last year’s award for Best Chowder. “This event showcases the great restaurants in New Bedford, Fairhaven and Dartmouth.”

Guests can sample the offerings of approximately 25 area food vendors. The event offers People’s Choice Awards which are decided by the votes of the attendees and the “Best Of” in different food categories along with an award for Best Booth Presentation. There are also Judge’s Choice Awards.

8

October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

The 10th anniversary event will have a larger tents and thanks to new sponsor, Sea Watch International, larger cash prizes. A blind taste test will determine which chowder vendor will receive a $1,000 cash prize, while $500 will go to the winners in the Seafood Chowder and Stuffed Quahog categories.

First place winners in the Kale Soup and Specialty Soups will each receive $250 each.

The event will take place under a spacious tent on Pier 3. Outside of the main tent will be smaller tents featuring vendors offering soft drinks, local beer from L. Knife based in Plymouth, wine supplied by New Bedford establishment Crush Fine Wines, and mixed drinks from Cocktail Guru. Another local establishment, Café Arpeggio, will offer coffee, cookies and handmade ice cream.

Merry melodies

The afternoon’s entertainment will include the annual YMCA Lobster Races. The day will also feature the Global Charter School offering craft activities and

entertainment for young children, fire truck rides on an antique engine courtesy of the New Bedford Fire Museum, and free photo booth pictures from Ensemble Events. The BaHa Brothers will be performing music for relaxation or dancing, and MAS Sound will play music during the bands’ breaks.

“This is a family-friendly event,” says Kreg Espinola, a local attorney and a resident of downtown New Bedford. Espinola and his wife Shannon have attended the event multiple times since it began and have recently been joined by their children.

“Sometimes people forget that we’re fortunate enough to have the greatest fishing port in the country. The Midwest has chain stores like Red Lobster, but the South Coast has the real thing. This is a signature event for the area.”

“The atmosphere is festive and positive. There’s something for everyone,” says Jessica Coelho, owner and manager of Tia Maria’s European Café which won Best Signature Soup last year along with third place finishes in People’s and Judge’s Competitions for their Kale Soup. “A lot of people want to find out what goes into your product.”

Community outreach

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell enjoys the event as much as its visitors.

“It is hard to believe that we are already gearing up to celebrate the Tenth Annual New Bedford Seaport

smiles This is a great opportunity to invite people from outside the region to discover the area. This event has come a long way and this year it’s bigger and better than ever.

Chowder Festival. This festival grows stronger each year and has a great reputation as a fun family event that marks the transition from summer to fall. I’m looking forward to it!”

Diane Arsenault, Executive Director of Downtown New Bedford, Inc. says that the Chowder Festival is able to be an “affordable family event” thanks to the sponsorship of BayCoast Bank. She says that the bank’s role means a higher-quality event enabling ticket prices to remain low.

BayCoast has helped to fund the event since its beginning, and for the past five years has been the lead sponsor.

“The waterfront and downtown are invaluable,” says Kevin Pelland, Vice President of BayCoast Commercial Lending. “This is a great opportunity to invite people from outside the region to discover the area. This event has come a long way and this year it’s bigger and better than ever.” This year it will begin at noon and continue until 5 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 the day of the event, $5 for children ages six to twelve, and free for those five-and-under.

Establishments providing tickets include Cardoza’s in Dartmouth and Fairhaven, Douglas Wine & Spirits in Fairhaven and New Bedford, Freestone’s City Grill, the YMCA both in downtown New Bedford, and BayCoast Bank in New Bedford. Tickets are also available online at www.downtownnb.org. For additional information call (508) 990-2777.

Battleship Boo Bash Thursday, October 29 4:30-7:30pm Fun for All Ages Trick-or-treat from friendly costumed sailors Take a ride on the spooky carousel Halloween FUNshops Costume contest

Space is limited, so call 508-678-1100 ext. 101/102 to reserve your tickets today! $7 per person.

This event is good for all ages and is non-scary.

Price includes candy, unlimited carousel rides, FUNshop activities and admission to the museum.

5 Water Street WaterMA Street Fall5 River, 02721 Fall 508-678-1100 River, MA 02721 -1100 www.battleshipcove.org

Officially Licensed Jewelry Tue.- Fri. 9-7, Sat.9-5 (Closed Sun. and Mon.) 17 Faunce Corner Road N. Dartmouth, MA www.Ustinovjewelers.com 508-994-8400

The South Coast Insider / October 2015

9

COVER STORY

Paul Schmid with Daisy.

Raised her since she was born and her mother rejected her. Now she is an accomplished mother herself!

South Coast farming growing strong

By Jay Pateakos

There was a time, perhaps 10-15 years ago, when farming had reached the lowest of the low. Acres upon acres of beloved farmland had been sold off, no longer a viable option to farm for many local farmers. The sound of moos (if there were any sounds from that land at all) were replaced by the whooshing of passing cars. Beautiful farmland transformed into McMansions seemingly overnight.

Many feared the end of New England farming was near. Farmers were struggling mightily to get by and consumers didn’t seem to care all that much.

Then something changed.

The farmers’ plight became well-documented and farmers markets started popping up where farmers could talk one-on-one with those who bought what they grew. Consumers became much more educated that buying local was the only way to keep these farmers in business; to keep these beautiful acres of land as picturesque and undeveloped as possible.

Those same consumers will tell you that there is still work to be done.

But as more and more farmers markets pop up

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October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

and local grocery stores and restaurants fill their produce shelves and menus with local produce, agriculture could be an important economic development tool for the region.

Grass-fed growth

Westport Farmer and State Representative Paul Schmid said that looking back forty years or so, southeastern Massachusetts was a farming hub, including eight family farms that raised cows just along his own street on Horseneck Road. But the years and the economy were not kind to farmers as the years progressed.

“It used to be that you just needed twenty cows to make a living, then fifty, then a hundred,” said

Schmid.

“When it got to two hundred cows, the industry started leaving the area, going to upstate New York.”

Schmid said that what saved an agriculture area like the South Coast was the implementation of the Agriculture Preservation Restriction, the first of its kind in the country, a state program that provided the state with the development rights to the farmland but allowed the farms to continue to operate and grow crops.

“It was the first in the nation; very ground-breaking,” said Schmid. “It put a lot of the land in the South Coast under preservation.”

Schmid said the land conservation also coincided with a movement to eat local and healthy. Some of the land that had not been used for years began to be cultivated again, especially in places like Dartmouth, Berkley, Westport, and Rehoboth, where they suddenly saw a demand for local crops.

The dawn of the farmers market and its subsequent popularity also helped farmers to create a much needed connection to the area and the people who sought their products.

“It’s been very encouraging and it’s really made a difference and has allowed farmers to sell direct to capture the full retail value and worth of their products,” said Schmid. “It makes a big difference in the profitability of the farmer.”

Schmid noted that many farmers have learned that consumers are now looking for that connection to what they eat and are now, more than ever, turned off by the spectra of industrial agriculture.

“People want to know where their food came from.

They want to meet the farmer, to be out and see where that food was raised, interact and have that

personal connection,” said Schmid.

“The typical farmer, over the years, has been an independent soul, but these farmers need to be more customer-oriented (as any good businessperson knows) and learn to grow more specialty crops, instead of just tomatoes. They need to get into a lot of other crops.”

Schmid said the importance of buying from these local farms goes beyond just helping the local economy, where the money stays when you buy local instead of places like Israel, known for its strawberries.

“This is money that stays in Fairhaven or Acushnet or Westport, and this is fresher food that doesn’t have to be shipped from all over the world,” said Schmid.

He’s not only a politician trumpeting the worth of buying local, he’s a multi-generational farmer whose family has raised grass-fed (not grain-fed, as he proudly points out) beef cattle for the past fifty-five years.

Schmid said people have suggested that he change his ways and to start producing a grain-fed cow. But he and his parents have never been into change. They are known for producing a great, lowfat beef product through the last five decades. Ten

security blanket to the family.”

But then the housing market crashed and everything changed. Farming came back with a vengeance. Farmer’s impacts on the local economy became stronger and people began to see, firsthand, the importance of buying from local farms.

“The economic development impact of farming is multi-faceted. Farmers go to local companies to buy their seeds, keeping the money in the area and homeowners start going to our local farms for their produce, helping to drive the economy,” said Sandstrum.

“Now there is a real focus on this from restaurants.

Everyone says restaurants and chefs drive trends, but in the case of local farmers, they were a little behind. Restaurants are seeing, in buying from local farms, most of that money is staying locally.”

Sandstrum noted that people would be more inclined to put $20 down for a meal if they knew parts of that meal were all derived locally. Restaurants have caught on to this in a big way. He said some of the bigger local farms are even growing enough to provide produce to supermarkets like Trucchi’s and Hannaford Bros., as well as local school systems.

“The economic growth in farming has been huge

The economic growth in farming has been huge for our area and it continues to grow, but there are some concerns for the future… years ago, the farm turned organic, which Schmid said was fairly easy because his mother had always refused to use chemicals in her farming.

“We are able to produce a product that people really want,” said Schmid, with fifty cows that graze in the pasture for six to seven months out of the year, rotating the cows around the fields to keep the grass plentiful and the manure more spread out. The Schmid family also raises the food they eat among the family’s 250 acres, raising a few pigs and sheep as well as a large vegetable garden that provides food for the family year-round.

“My mother always grew her own vegetables and we’ve followed her example,” added Schmid.

Growing support

Todd Sandstrum, Interim Director of the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP) said the downfall of the farming ten-tofifteen years ago had to do more with the housing boom then with anything in particular farmers were or were not doing.

“During that housing boom, land started being worth something and farmers were realizing that if they sold off their land, they could take care of their family,” said Sandstrum.

“Their initial view was to have the farm and then give it to their kids, but they saw this as providing a

for our area and it continues to grow, but there are some concerns for the future; there’s really not enough land for younger farmers and there aren’t many of those young people who want to pick up the land – for that, we will begin to see some pocket developments,” said Sandstrum.

In the future, like Schmid, Sandstrum said many farmers have to get out into the community, talk to people about what they do, sell them on the importance and the impact of local farming.

Gone now are the individual farmers who spent their whole day on the tractor and just waved to people that drove by, if even that. These farmers need to engage, he stressed.

He said that part of the major water shortages in California is that we rely too much on that part of the country for crops. We need to do a better job of spreading that out, creating farms, and doing more to buy local and support the economy around us. He said it’s also part of helping the carbon footprint of the area by using less fuel to buy local and purchasing those items from those whose funds go back in the community.

“It’s all about us supporting it. Back when I was young, we would hit a farmer’s market every week; that was the norm and that’s cycling back around,” said Sandstrum. “That was the place to go. We knew our farmers and our food very well.”

http://FairhavenTours.com

H. H. Rogers Walking Tours

Thursdays in October, 10:00 a.m.

Begins at Town Hall, 40 Center St. Learn about a Standard Oil Co. millionaire’s architectural gifts to his hometown. Free.

15th Manjiro Festival

Saturday, October 3, 10 am-4pm Center & Walnut Streets Japanese festival with music, food, arts & crafts, tea ceremony, taiko drumming, tours of “Manjiro Trail” and more. http://whitfield-manjiro.org

Harvest Fun Day

Saturday, October 10, 10 am-4 pm Visitors Center, 141 Main St. More than 35 booths of kids activities, art & crafts, food, yummy treats and more. Music by KJ-Tunes.

Riverside Cemetery Tour

Sunday, October 11, 2:00 pm 274 Main Street Begins inside main gate of cemetery, Main St. Tour this beautiful rural-style cemetery created in 1850 by F.D.R.’s grandfather Warren Delano.Wear comfortable walking shoes. Free.

Halloween Horribles Parade

Sunday, October 25, 5:00 pm Main Street from Benoit Square to St. Mary’s Church A judged costume parade for all ages with prizes awarded. Candy, cider and cocoa. Sponsored by No. Fairhaven Improvement Association.

TOWN OF FAIRHAVEN

Office of Tourism

141 Main Street, Fairhaven, MA

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The South Coast Insider / October 2015

11

Farm in focus:

BUSINESS BUZZ

Mike King, owner and farmer along with his wife Elizabeth (not pictured) at Wyandotte Farm.

Michaela Lobo from Westport and Brandon Botelho from Fall River.

Wyandotte Farm

by Stacie Charbonneau-Hess

It was a few days after one of what was to be known as one of the most notorious snowstorms of the 2014-2015 winter season. Mike King, owner and farmer at Wyandotte Farms, was struggling to get off my sidewalk. The snow was packed high along the streets of New Bedford, where I live, and Mike and his wife Elizabeth traveled from Mattapoisett to bring my husband and I yet another half-cord of wood.

T

hough he is mainly a chicken farmer, he delivers wood in the winter season to help sustain his farm financially. This wood, incidentally, was split by hand, loaded into the truck by Mike and Elizabeth, and then thrown lovingly in a pile for my husband and I to stack (the Kings will stack for you too, but my husband and I enjoy this task and pretend we are urban pioneers).

We warm ourselves by the wood stove all winter long. There are many ways to survive a New England winter with good spirits, and we discovered that

12

October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

proximity to a blazing fire is one of them.

With Mike’s truck’s wheels spinning, Elizabeth gunned the pedals as her husband scraped the snow out from under the tires with a shovel. I stared helplessly at the two, having just returned from teaching, book bags in hand. I went inside to put my bags down, but by the time I came out, Mike and Elizabeth were waving at me, smiling, undaunted, driving away, ready for the next adventure.

“Adventure” is an apt word for the life of a farmer.

According to the tagline on the Wyandotte farm Facebook page, Mike admits the endeavor is “the

beginning of an adventure in nature, permaculture and sustainable farming, honoring food—our wellspring of life.”

From this description, customers can glean the spiritual aspect of farming for the Kings; their values become quickly evident in all they do. They are the kind of farmers who aim to educate people about their food.

Mike brings his beloved chickens to the farmer’s markets so people can see them, and experience viscerally that these little gals provide both breakfast and dinner. He admits that it’s hard at times to part

with an animal he has raised.

In addition to his compassion and love of his work, Mike King has an entrepreneurial spirit. He is not afraid to try something new to continually grow his business and customer base. When we meet at the New Bedford Farmers Market on a sunny Friday in July, he tells me about Wyandotte’s newest venture: cooking. Because he noticed that customers were quick to dismiss a whole chicken in lieu of ready-cut parts already soaking in King’s own “hot wing” marinade, he took the idea a step further.

He discovered that “people want convenience.

They don’t think: there’s a whole chicken—cool!

I’ll have chicken for sandwiches and then I’ll have bones to make soup. People think ‘I need what I want for today,’ or ‘I’m by myself’ so we sell a lot of marinated chicken. We are going to start cooking chicken on Wednesdays at the Knights of Columbus in Mattapoisett. It will be eat-in or take-out. There will be beer and wine. I’m building a grill right now, a big double 55-gallon drum so we will be able to do wood and charcoal-grilled chicken. I think it’s gonna work.”

“We are trying to be a local, sustainable food company…”

A second way King increases his farm’s bottom line is by accepting subscriptions to a “chicken and egg” CSA. “We are trying to be a local, sustainable food company. Our goal this year was to try to find 500 local families that would each want to buy five chickens over the course of six months. We didn’t think it was an insurmountable goal, but it’s been tough getting started.”

He continues, “Right now we have commitments from 40 families, so 200 chickens…we are trying to get to 2,500.”

King is hoping that with word of mouth and advertising, people will discover Wyandotte Farms and consider the farm their prime source for poultry and eggs. King knows all too well that living off the land takes a certain temerity and grit, and a flexibility that few possess. Mother Nature bestows both gifts and setbacks—miracles and destruction. Yet for those who honor the land and its animals, the rewards are visible, not to mention—delicious.

Visit Wyandotte Farm at 88 Marion Road (Route 6) in Mattapoisett or call at (508) 758-8230. For up-todate news on the farm, “like” their Facebook page.

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The South Coast Insider / October 2015

13

BUSINESS BUZZ

Organized organics

By Jay Pateakos

Organic foods, once something that only the healthiest of people entertained for their food choices, has certainly hit mainstream.

Gone are the days when you’d find a onefoot section of organic foods at the supermarket.

Heck, there are some grocery store chains that even specialize in it. And that’s a good thing for farming and for all of us.

According to the USDA, Organic agriculture produces products “using methods that preserve the environment and avoid most synthetic materials, such as pesticides and antibiotics.”

Organic farmers follow a defined set of standards to produce organic food and fiber that cover the product from farm to table, including soil and water quality, pest control, livestock practices, and rules for food additives. It’s never been more popular.

The U.S. organic industry enjoyed robust growth in 2014, with the number of certified organic farms increasing by more than 5 percent over 2013, and domestic sales of all organic products soaring 11 percent to more than $39 billion. Those numbers will only rise with increased awareness.

Just add water

Julie Rawson, Executive Director of Northeast Organic Farming Association and owner of Mary

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October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

Hands Organic Farms in Barre, Massachusetts said organic farming is catching on because people are looking for healthier, non-chemical solutions to their foods.

Rawson said the problems with chemicals in regular farming came about in the 1940s and 1950s when chemical companies, fresh off chemical warfare during World War II, needed a new place to sell their chemicals, so they began selling them to farmers, touting the benefits of killing off the pests that ate their crops.

Rawson said the farmers were never told the downside to any of these chemicals and it worked out well in the beginning because the chemicals helped to save labor time for farmers.

But with the inaugural Earth Day in 1970, the anti-war hippie movement moved on to the environment movement, helping to lay the groundwork for what would become the Organic farming movement, Rawson said.

People began asking more questions about their food and what goes on them. The Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA), established in 1982, would continue that education and awareness,

helping to teach organic methods of farming and their benefits. Rawson leans on increasing numbers of children with autism and the onslaught of so many other diseases that have seen increasing numbers over the years as evidence of the impact these various chemicals on our foods are having on us and why they need to be stopped.

“Whether it’s autism or diabetes or others, the numbers are skyrocketing and more and more people that are getting sick are beginning to connect the dots,” said Rawson, listing off a number of pesticides like RoundUp, that when sprayed on plants, helps to take the minerals out of them.

“It’s causing severe issues and is a real chemical mess and this is why organic farming is gaining in popularity: because people are more interested than ever in where there food is coming from and what is going on it.”

While Rawson admits organically-grown farm products can be a little bit more expensive than typical produce, NOFA also helps to educate consumers on how to grow their own organic crops as Continued ON NEXT PAGE

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in Rhode Island, but for many buyers at mainstream grocery stores, they are still looking for the cheapest foods.

“And that tends to be non-organic,” said Tomolonis. “We need to bring more organic foods to mass-market consumers.”

Continued FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

well. She said chemical companies tend to subsidize some of the farms as does the federal government while organic farmers are still behind on that kind of assistance.

“The organic farmers don’t get all that much and we need more people to work the farm,” said Rawson. “To me, it’s an issue of quality and where you want to put your money.”

When it comes to money and the cost of food, Rawson depicts numbers that show the United States is 35th in the world in the percentage of income we spend on our food, showing how cheap food is in this country and how people are used to not spending that much compared to other countries.

Rawson admits she doesn’t have all the answers but she is doing her part to make changes and hope others follow through as well. Her husband even wrote a piece about carbon emissions and agriculture and the need to get carbon back into the ground instead of the air.

“We’ll keep burying organic matter into the soil, ones that have no chemicals involved,” said Rawson.

“People are realizing this is a matter of life and death and their health.”

Farm-to-table

Derek Christianson, owner and farmer on the organic Brix Bounty Farm in Dartmouth since 2008, operates eight acres of organically grown vegetables from onions to tomatoes to eggplant and dozens more.

Christianson has been organically farming since 2002 and said for him and his family, this farm is their livelihood. He moved to the South Coast from New York because he found the farmland and area geography to be much more conducive to farming and to selling products then in New York when they could never grow enough food to satisfy the population.

Christianson does not wholesale his crop, preferring to sell at farmers markets where he can meet one on one with the people who plan to buy and eat his products.

“Organic farming is a lot about principles, treating the earth with respect and with chemical exposure, there’s become a strong awareness and a determined community that seeks out vegetables that don’t have herbicides or pesticides,” said Christianson, who notes that he hasn’t gone after the “certified organic” designation due to not selling wholesale.

“We chat with people one-on-one and tell them what we are doing; that we don’t spray our products and how we feel it’s sustainable treatment of the land.”

Christianson said that while the technology is out there but not quite where it needs to be yet, in

16

October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

Growth and hurdles

5-10 years, farmers will be able to tell the mineral makeup of their soil and crops and how it can impact your nutrition.

“At the end of the day, we hope to grow organic produce that will cost less money while increasing your nutritional value,” said Christenson. “Our hope is to create a carrot that has a better nutritional value than anything you can find in the grocery store.”

Food at large

Andy Tomolonis, author of the book “Organic Hobby Farming” as well as Managing Editor for the Standard Times newspaper, said there are a growing number of large-scale organic producers – dairy, salad greens, vegetables, chicken and other goods – around all of us, but it’s still a selective market.

“I think one of the biggest areas of growth is actually in small-to-medium-sized family farms, where farmers can market directly to their customers through farm stands and [Community Supported Agriculture] shares ,” said Tomolonis.

“When you join a CSA, you take stock in the farmer and pick up a week’s worth of goods from the farm in each share. You may pay $600 up front, and in return you’ll get an entire summer’s worth of fresh, healthy, locally-produced food. And I think at that level, the customer is more likely to look for organic food or food that has been grown without pesticides.”

Tomolonis said the practice of buying directly from the farmer helps to create more of a bond and awareness of the food source – when you buy a clear plastic box of pre-washed salad greens at the grocery store, you get no transparency and no sense of that farmer’s philosophy.

Over the years, Tomolonis notes that organic foods have become more popular at grocery stores, especially places like Whole Foods or Dave’s Marketplace

Asked why the popularity of organic farming has taken so long to catch on, Tomolonis said he feels buyers are becoming more aware of the dangers of chemicals, and looking to limit, if not eliminate, unwanted chemicals in their diets. It’s especially true for mothers with young children, as the effects of chemicals in food can be much more dramatic in babies and toddlers, he said.

“Foods that are grown and marketed as “USDA Certified Organic” have to pass incredible levels of scrutiny. Farmers have to meet with an independent, third-party certifier and show evidence that they only used organic materials on their crops. For livestock, the animals have to eat organic feed and have access to the outdoors,” said Tomolonis.

“You can’t use GMOs. You can’t use chemical pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. And you can’t use synthetic fertilizers. There is really a lot of care that goes into verifying that organic foods are grown according to federal standards. Farmers have to keep detailed records and show them to the certifiers.”

When it comes to consumer awareness on the threat of pesticides and other chemicals, Tomolonis said “it’s a case of gradual awareness” but there are revelations and watershed moments that raise awareness like Rachel Carson’s 1962 book Silent Spring that first helped people take notice of pesticides as well as a 60 Minutes program on Alar (Daminozide) in apples that sparked the growth of organics in the 1980s.

“Now there are stories about pesticides and the loss of honeybees,” added Tomolonis. “People are paying attention to that. And it all slowly works to turn the social mindset.”

Tomolonis has hope that the educated food-buyer who understands the organic process appreciates it and is willing to pay for that level of safety. More people are starting to care deeply about what they put into their bodies and with all of us spending $300 for a smart phone and then pay another $40 per month for a data plan and hundreds of dollars a month for a car and more for gas, shouldn’t we be willing to pay more than a few bucks more for our food, especially if it’s healthier?

“I think organics will continue to grow. I think there will be more studies that link pesticides and other chemicals to cancer and nerve damage, and I think organic production will become less expensive and more widely used,” said Tomolonis.

“When consciousness rises a little more and when prices drop just a little more, a larger part of the mainstream market will shift to organics.”

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508-944-1775 • 508-673-5721 www.simcockfarm.com The South Coast Insider / October 2015

17

FOOD NOTES

ADVERTORIAL

Overcoming

gluten

by Bob Cook

An estimated 3 million people in the United States have celiac disease (CD), representing over 1% of the population, with 80% of that number being undiagnosed.

Y

ou or someone you know may likely have CD and never know it. To compound those statistics are an unknown percentage of the population who suffer from non-celiac disease typically known as gluten-intolerance (GI) or gluten-sensitivity (GS). Should you get checked by a medical professional? Should you worry about it at all?

Before we answer that, let’s look a bit deeper into CD. It is an autoimmune disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract, specifically the small intestines. People who suffer CD are permanently intolerant to gluten.

What is gluten?

It is a group of specific proteins found primarily in wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten is highly toxic to those with CD, GI, and GS, as it attacks the tiny finger-like structures lining the walls of the small intestine known as villi. Gluten causes these tiny villi structures to become flat, leaving the villi incapable of absorbing valuable nutrients needed by the body.

Those who suffer CD, diagnosed or undiagnosed, will experience any one of a number of associated manifestations. Among them are: anemia, fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome, malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, anxiety, brain fog or foggy mindedness, depression, irritability, headaches and migraines, developmental delay (especially in

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October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

children), abdominal pain, acid reflux, excessive gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, joint pain, arthritis, and numbness or pain in hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy).

Persons with CD may not suffer from all these symptoms. If they do, the severity can range from unbearable to hardly noticeable. Confused? There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to CD. In fact millions of sufferers go undiagnosed. If you suffer any number of the signs and symptoms you might consider immediate testing. Testing typically starts with a celiac-panel blood test which will measure your immune system’s response to gluten.

The antibody level found in the tTG-IgA (tissue transglutaminase and immunoglobulin A) testing can show high levels of tTG, indicating a strong likelihood of CD. The blood test is not totally conclusive, which is why most Gastro-Intestinal (GI) doctors, will recommend a procedure called an Endoscopy where a tissue sample of the small intestine is gathered and tested further to reveal upward (healthy) villi or downward flat (unhealthy) villi, the latter confirming a diagnosis of celiac disease. If you are found to have CD what is your next course of action?

Living gluten-free

You will now be forced to live gluten-free (GF) for life. Living GF can be horrifying to some, and it’s a hurdle for anyone. However, there is hope and help, and it’s right here in your backyard. It is called the New England Celiac Organization or NECO.

NECO is, in the words of Dr. Alessio Fasano, Medical Director, Center for Celiac Research at Massachusetts General Hospital, “a leading support nationwide in providing cutting-edge information, organizing events for patients and families and in networking with academic celiac centers in order to provide the best support possible to the celiac community in New England.” Dr. Fasano is one the nation’s’ leading researchers of CD and has published books on the topic written in plain, frank language.

So where do you go from here? As Glinda the Good Witch of the North said, “It’s always best to start at the beginning.” In our case, the “beginning” is to first visit the NECO web site at www. neceliac.org where you will find a wide range of information to get you up and running while dealing with your new dietary lifestyle.

NECO offers, without charge, access to numerous resources all geared for those who are CD or gluten-intolerant. Better still is a link under the heading “Meetings and Events” titled “Monthly Group Meetings” where you will find a growing list of local monthly support meeting sites.

All monthly meetings are FREE of charge, OPEN to everyone, and have NO set agenda. Meetings are hosted by NECO representatives who are themselves celiacs and will answer all your questions and concerns.

Come join us! We are, after all, right in your own backyard!

Zucchini Parmigianino with Tomato Sauce Serving Size: 6 to 8 Ingredients: 1-1/2 tsp olive oil

n

1 medium onion, chopped n

1 clove garlic, minced

n

2 tsp dried basil

n

1 tsp dried oregano

n

1/2 to 1lb ground beef

n

1/2 to 1 cup dry white wine n

sugar to taste

n

Worcestershire sauce

n

n 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce optional

1 can (28 oz.) whole peeled tomatoes drained and chopped, juices reserved

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1 to 2 Tbsp tomato paste

n

n 6 large zucchini, each cut lengthwise into 5 slices n 8 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

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Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, adding 1-2 Tbsp water if onion sticks, about 3 minutes. n

Add garlic, basil, and oregano and sauté 1 minute.

n

n Add beef and cook until brown crumbling with fork, about 4 minutes. Add wine and bring to boil.

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n Add tomatoes and their juices and tomato paste and extra can of tomato sauce (if needed). Simmer until sauce is reduced, about 30-40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Total sauce to be used in casserole measures 3 cups. You may have more which can be used for other things. Can be prepared 2 days ahead.

Cover and refrigerate.

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Cook zucchini in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender about 2 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Transfer zucchini to paper towels and drain well.

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19

THINGS TO DO

South Coast Dining Local, fresh , hearty

By Joyce Rowley

There are times when you just want to grab something to eat while you’re on the road, and then there are times when sitting down for a meal with family and friends is the destination. Whether you’ve been out leaf-peeping or just enjoying a gorgeous fall day, here are three great South Coast restaurants ideal for a relaxing, special dining experience.

A Partner in dine

The Partners Village Store and Kitchen in Westport is one of South Coast’s oldest and dearest village eateries. Like a rambling Victorian home that keeps adding new rooms as the family grows, the Village Partners started as a winemaking and beer-making supply store, added a kitchen in 1980, a bookstore in 1990, and along the way added toys, gifts, and specialty papers.

So eight years ago, when Partners moved into the Victorian building at 865 Main Street just down the street from its first home, it was a perfect fit.

Linger over lunch, then browse the bookstore and do a little early holiday shopping at the giftshop. The eclectic collection of pottery, linen, clothes, and jewelry offers something for everyone on your list – including you!

20

October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

This month Partners holds its traditional Fall Festival, said owner Lydia Gollner. “It’s a wonderful, multi-generational event,” Gollner said.

“We have food-tasting, a farmer’s market, local artisans, book-signing by our authors, and great music.”

You can learn more about Partners Village Store at www.PartnersVillageStore.com

Here on Earth

Chris and Shelley Riley’s Golden Touch Farm of Westport is bringing their alpacas along with Alpaca fiber wares – perfect for knitting that special holiday scarf, hat, or sweater. And the kids love seeing and petting these sweet-faced creatures. Other children’s activities include mask-making with the Westport Watershed Alliance, face painting, and

choosing that perfect pumpkin from one of the many local farmers.

Headed for a weekend on the Cape?

Allie Griffin Plan on stopping at How on Earth in Mattapoisett to start the weekend with a homemade brunch. Then pick up some hearty homemade soup, fresh seasonal veggies, and homemade bread to take with you.

It began as a place to pick up your share of the harvest from local community-supported agriculture cooperatives (CSAs) in 2007, and grew into a full-fledged market. In 2013 it added the restaurant, a unique dining experience offering organic, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free menu options, and promoting healthy dining through food workshops and seminars.

A locavore’s favorite destination, all of the meals are from “scratch” using local in-season produce and sustainable meats.

“This time of year, we have hearty soups and reubens made from sustainably-farmed beef,” said How on Earth’s manager, Mary Ann Buckley.

“Our produce is locally-sourced and our market is already getting in great winter squash.”

Starting with Oktoberfest this month, The Store holds specialty dinners on the third Thursday of each month. Locally-brewed beer will be featured,

Proprietors Tammy & Steven Noons welcome you to

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of course, along with a smorgasbord of offerings from this summer’s bountiful harvest.

You can learn more about How on Earth at www.

HowOnEarth.net

Mighty market

Wander down Route 77 in Little Compton and stop by the Simmons Cafe and Market, open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pick up sandwich fixings for an Indian Summer beach picnic or stay for a cozy lunch in the Garden.

“Our foods are locally grown and natural,” said Jen Marshall, one of ten women who own and run the store and cafe.

Marshall and her team bought the market in January 2014, after it sat idle for several years.

Since then, they’ve developed a following for their Friday evening family dinners in the Garden with live music.

The cafe offers breakfast all day, baked goods, lunch, and fresh-baked bread daily. And they’re carrying handmade Acushnet Ice Cream right through to Thanksgiving, Marshall said. The market also sells handmade gifts from artisans within 100 miles of the store as part of their “Buy local, shop local,” theme.

Their Second Annual Family Fun Spooktacular is back again this year – fun for the whole family.

To learn more about Simmons Cafe and Market, search for them on Facebook.

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The South Coast Insider / October 2015

21

COVER STORY

The shortcut to happiness

By Elizabeth Morse Read

“He who is contented is rich.” – Lao Tzu In case you missed it, September 21 was World Gratitude Day. As we slide into the official holiday season, let’s take a step back and think about what thankfulness and joy and gratitude is really all about. I don’t mean to get all crunchy-granola on you here, but feeling grateful and content every day is the key to happiness.

We are bombarded endlessly with mes-

sages telling us that money, power, and fame will make us happy. That we must be ruthless in our climb up the ladder of success. That “having it all” is the only way to achieve satisfaction. As a result, we waste way too much time and energy obsessing about what we don’t have or what’s going wrong in our lives instead of choosing to focus on what we do have and what’s good in our lives.

It’s pretty obvious that, as individuals, we have very little influence on external events – hurricanes, wars, economic upheavals. Personal milestones like weddings, job promotions, births, and winning the lottery may give us an endorphin rush of momentary bliss, but they don’t necessarily translate into lifelong happiness. But we can control and manage our level of overall happiness by being appreciative every minute of the day. Developing an attitude of gratitude is the shortcut to happiness.

“Don’t worry. Be happy.”

– Bobby McFerrin Think of the truly happy people you’ve met. Some of them might be rich and famous, but I doubt they all are. Whatever their social status, they’ve probably got family problems, financial woes, or failing health.

But they always seem to walk on the sunny side of the street. They always ask about your life before

22

October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

you even get a chance to ask about theirs. They’re quick with a laugh and an offer to help and they’re very good listeners. They don’t hold grudges or wallow in regrets, disappointment, or self-pity.

Now think of the people you secretly feel sorry for. Are they all living in gutters, or do some of them have larger paychecks than you? Whatever their financial situation, they’ve got ulcers and high blood pressure. They’re always irritable and distracted, can’t sleep without a pill or a drink, suspicious of people who take vacations, have no patience for small talk, and are totally clueless about other

people’s feelings. Their kids are entitled, whiney, and out-of-control.

Happiness is a choice we make every day, and it has little to do with where you wake up. One of the classic tales from the ancient world is about when Alexander the Great, the embodiment of power, fame, and wealth, visited the old philosopher Diogenes, who was resting in his courtyard.

Alexander asked the old man if there was anything at all he wished from him. Diogenes answered, “Yes – please step aside. You’re blocking the sunshine.”

Continued ON PAGE 24

World Gratitude Day? (Seriously?)

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues, but the parent of all others.” – Cicero The celebration of World Gratitude Day (September 21) began on an ashram in Hawaii in the 1960s, and quickly became a worldwide conversation about gratitude, appreciation, and reflection on the good and wonderful things in daily life. It received formal recognition in 1977, when the United Nations formed a Meditation Group dedicated to promoting its principles.

It focuses on the positive aspects of life, like joyfulness, compassion, appreciativeness, and insight (enlightenment) as the road to emotional health and contentment. It does not deny the reality of sorrow or misfortune or evil, but sees them as “teachable moments” and opportunities for growth. It transcends the doctrinal barriers of historical religions and seeks global unity through common beliefs and peaceful co-existence.

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Continued FROM PAGE 22

Our Mission

“Be thankful for what you have, you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”

Your Recovery Regaining functionality following an illness, accident, hospitalization, or surgery is the focus of the rehab services we provide. Our rehab team is dedicated to helping you achieve superior results and a safe return home. ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡

– Oprah Winfrey Be grateful for what you are experiencing right this minute, no matter what your other problems and distractions. Savor the moment. A perfect cup of coffee. A 5-year old mispronouncing the Pledge of Allegiance (“I led the pigeons to the flag…”). A friend who actually shows up on time. A stunning sunset. Anything that makes you smile and relax for brief moments as you go about your day – think of them as mini-meditations, spontaneous moments of insight into what’s really valuable in life.

You can’t become wise, content or happy if you keep getting distracted by shiny objects and lured astray by phony promises. Enjoying what you experience at any given moment is far healthier than endlessly chasing after the illusions of “reality show happiness” – wealth, power, and fame.

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October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

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At the beginning of the modern age, poets, philosophers, and political thinkers all noticed that people’s daily lives were becoming more complicated, and that social inequities were ratcheting up.

All those new-fangled inventions like steam engines and the telegraph and oil wells hadn’t made everyday people any happier, healthier, or richer. Instead, people were leaving their farms and towns to become urban dwellers dependent on machines and paychecks. They were cut off from extended family, the outdoors, and the natural rhythms of life. They were leading Thoreau’s “lives of quiet desperation.”

The questions of “What is real? What is eternally valuable?” has been on philosophers’ lips since ancient times. Hindu and Buddhist teachings warn against becoming entrapped by maya, the illusion/mirage/false-reality of the ever-changing material world.

Continued ON PAGE 26

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October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

Meditation:

By turning your attention inward, focusing intensely on the present moment, you step outside of your stressed-out public “self.” Prayer, playing a musical instrument, yoga, archery, downhill skiing, tai chi, stargazing—they all require total concentration, undistracted by all the white noise and random thoughts. Intense bursts of concentration like that during your day can lessen depression and anxiety, and make you feel more refreshed and energized.

Whether you live in a city or on a farm, you need to step outside of your hermetically-sealed living quarters or work cubicle every day. Go explore the dis-organized world—stroll through a farmers market, walk in the rain, eat your lunch on a park bench, tend a community garden.

By placing your “self” within a larger physical-world context, you won’t feel so claustrophobic and rushed all the time. The Japanese practice of shinrin yoku (literally, “forest bathing”) is a simple antidote to stress and anxiety. Taking a brief leisurely stroll through nature every day, detached from the “civilized” world, has been proven to reduce blood pressure, lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels, strengthen the body’s immune system, and clean out the cobwebs that clutter your mind.

Strengthen ties with others:

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Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” and St. Paul’s epistle about “seeing through a glass darkly” (I Corinthians 13:11-12) warn against being deceived by shadows and half-truths. Even Shakespeare warned against the meaningless of chasing after false happiness.

Fortunately, there are some very simple things we can do that will make us happier and healthier over the long term, rather than by constantly being on a treadmill chasing after that new job, new house, new body, or new relationship.

Spend more time outdoors:

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Continued FROM PAGE 24

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Humans evolved as social creatures, just like ants and whales. We cannot thrive individually if we’re not “connected” and interacting with other people or living creatures. Joining a local club, adopting a pet, organizing a group event, spending money or time helping others—showing compassion for and interest in others will always boost your mood. Your sense of self-worth is largely determined by your constant mindfulness of others.

Around the world, we’re all going through tremendous social upheaval and anxiety, trying to find meaning amidst the chaos—stock-market crashes, nuclear explosions, terrorism. But this too shall pass— don’t miss out on the minor miracles of daily life.

We can take the shortcut to everyday happiness by deliberately blocking out the headlines and tweets for a few minutes. Step away from all the craziness and go enjoy a cup of tea with someone. Be more grateful for the really valuable and smile-worthy moments in your daily life.

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The South Coast Insider / October 2015

27

FLASH

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4 5

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8 9

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Summer’s Last Blast

The Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts held its End-of-Summer Blast on September 11. About 450 guests enjoyed food, drink, music, and the excellent company. To learn more about The Community Foundation, visit www.cfsema.org.

1. Audet Storey, Bob Karam, Liz McCarthy and Gary McCarthy 2. Richard and Susan Wolfson 3. Betsy Lawrence and Christine Burgess 4. Mary and Victor Santos 5. Peter C. Bogle, Jennifer LaFrance, William R. Eccles, Jr. and Arthur DeAscentis

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6. Elizabeth Duffy and Rev. Robert Lawrence 7. Mike and Nancy Harding 8. Peter and Barbara Humphrey, Meg and Nick Christ 9. Pam Lasher and Beppie Huidekoper 10. Ava and Edward Lambert

October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

11. Claudia and Anthony Medeiros 1 2. Christine and Jason Rua 13. Heini Huguley and Divina Grossman 14. Jim Mathes and Lisa Strattan 14

ADVERTORIAL

Fall River Municipal Credit Union Focused on your financial needs with a personal touch Technology has greatly impacted our lives over the last 35 years.

It impacts the way we make a phone call, watch television, and communicate with each other. Advances in technology have improved many aspects of our lives. atthew Schondek, President and CEO of Fall River Municipal Credit Union, reflected on the impact technology has had on his life.

“I met my wife because, as we were commuting from Boston on the local bus, we both needed to call our rides because the bus was arriving late. We needed to find a pay phone, and I was aware there was one inside the Boy’s Club across the street.

This gave us the opportunity to meet. If this were to happen today, we would both probably have our own cell phone and, maybe, we never would have met.”

Fall River Municipal Credit Union has been helping members with their financial dreams since 1930. They have always been focused on the financial needs of their members and the greater community.

As the Credit Union looks back at its 85 years of serving the community, they are proud of the products and services they have to offer. They have always worked to make things better for its members by seeking out new products and services designed to make banking easier.

“New products have always been developed with the idea that members expect the faster, more efficient service, but delivered in a way as to not lose the personalized experience they have come to expect from their credit union,” Mr. Schondek expressed.

FRMCU is pleased to announce some new and exciting things happening at the Credit Union.

After converting to a new core processing system for managing members’ accounts in late 2013, the Credit Union has been busy expanding their product lines to better serve members and continues to focus on their ever-changing financial needs.

Several new products and services are

being introduced to continue their commitment to make the member experience at FRMCU the best it can be.

In October, the Credit Union will be improving the online experience for members. They will be launching a new, improved Bill Payer system called OneClick.

OneClick will make paying bills better, easier, and more convenient than ever. A new FRMCU Mobile App is being rolled out to provide members immediate access to their FRMCU accounts on their Apple or Android devices.

While these products are being launched, the Credit Union is already working on enhancements to continue to improve the member experience.

While these products provide FRMCU members the latest channels to access and transact business on their accounts on-line and with their mobile devices, FRMCU understands that members still need and want personal interaction.

Understanding that not everything can be done “in the cloud,” FRMCU has added Safe Deposit Boxes at both the Main Office and at the Assonet Branch for member convenience and peace of mind.

FRMCU now offers Safe Deposit Boxes at all four branch locations. FRMCU reviewed its branch hours to provide its members greater access to branch services. The Assonet and Swansea Branches now stay open until 1 pm on Saturdays.

Additionally, for several years now, the branch at 1110 Robeson Street in Fall River has been open on Sundays to serve busy members from 11 am to 2 pm.

Mr. Schondek stated, “We understand that our members work hard and it can be difficult to get to a branch during the week. Opening on Sunday provides members the peace of mind that they have greater flexibility to getting their banking done.”

The Credit Union staff is always ready to help members at any one of their four locations; 333 Milliken Boulevard and 1110 Robeson Street in Fall River, 755 GAR Highway (Route 6) in Swansea, and 58A (Route 79) in Assonet.

If you are looking for a local financial institution that is dedicated to your financial needs with personalized service, FRMCU has everything you are looking for.

Give them a call at (508) 678-9028 or stop by a convenient location where the staff is always ready to help you. Visit their website, www.frmcu.com, to see the many ways FRMCU can serve you.

The South Coast Insider / October 2015

29

THINGS TO DO

Exploring books and boulevards

BY Michael J. Vieira

Drive (or better yet, walk) through just about any city or town in the South Coast and you’ll get a sense of history. Some of it has been wellpreserved, but there are other buildings and stories that are in danger of being lost. ortunately, some of the local history has been preserved in the pages of books (or frozen in electronic fonts in eBooks).

As the trees change color and fall, grab some local books and flip through the pages.

In Fall River, you can combine the two by riding (or again, walking) around the Highland section of the city. Stop at the Fall River Historical Society, an amazing stone structure moved to Rock Street from Columbia Street.

You can also pick up a copy of Parallel Lives: A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and Her Fall River. Written

by Michael Martins and Dennis A. Binette, it provides a unique glimpse at life when the acquitted woman tried to resume a private life at a time when the Spindle City was the

30

largest producer of cotton in the country.

This created great wealth for the rich mill owners, but also poor conditions for the impoverished mill workers. Against this backdrop, Martines and Binnette drew upon facts and unpublished materials to weave a portrait of the always-suspect Lizzie against the backdrop of a divided Fall River.

Lizzie never moved out of the city, but you can leave, maybe after a quick bite or beverage, and drive through the region. Stop at some places that support local writers like Partners Village Store in Westport (partnersvillagestore.com), Readmore Bookstore in Taunton (www.readmorebooks.com), Barrington Books (www.barringtonbooks.com), and others.

Or, when the wind blows, shop online.

October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

Sail to New Bedford The White Whale, New Bedford’s Whaling Museum store, has an online store which features local books (store.whalingmuseum.org). There are museum publications, but also art, children’s books, cookbooks, and more.

Whether looking for a pictorial history, like Volume One of the Spinner Picture History of New Bedford, or one of three books that focus on scrimshaw art, or something about a specific event, like the Civil War or the Hurricane of 1938, the store has something to meet your need.

Other Spinner Publications titles can be found at spinnerpub.com. But you can also make history by helping to sponsor the second volume of A Picture History of New Bedford.

Tiers of sponsorship range from $25 to $10,000. At the lowest level, you

get acknowledgement, and for $50 or more, you get a copy of the new book when it is published. Other benefits unlock depending on how much you contribute.

The Spinner books range from Cranberry Cooking to Monsignor Thomas J. Harrington’s A Call to Save: The Memoir of a Fire Chaplain which offers, among other memories, a unique look at the fire that destroyed Notre Dame Church in Fall River’s Flint section.

In addition they’ve also published cookbooks, memoirs, poetry and more – including Portuguese language textbooks. They also have videos and prints, as well as an archive which boasts “more than one million photographs” of the South Coast which are available for purchase.

Double the history One of the new additions to the extensive catalog of The History Press is New Bedford Mansions by Peggi Medeiros. This takes a look at the historic houses on County Street which were often built by noteworthy architects and commissioned by the Rotch, Morgan, and Howland families.

Most of the homes and buildings discussed are still located on and around County Street in the Whaling City, and some are open to the public.

Want to be scared just in time for Halloween? Ghosts of the SouthCoast by Tim Weisberg shares tales of mysterious spirit life from Wareham’s Fearing Inn to Fall River’s Quequechan Club and Lizzie Borden’s home.

The Press, which merged with Acadia Publishing, is best known for their Images of America series. Visit their website (arcadiapublishing.com) for a list of cities and towns they’ve researched. Most of the South Coast is included in their coverage.

The company also published Classic Diners of Massachusetts in which Larry Cultera takes a look at Almac’s Diner in Fall River and the sadly lost, much-lamented Shawmut Diner that was in New Bedford Among other regional titles by The History Press are the companion pieces A Brief History of Wareham by yours truly, and Attack of the HMS Nimrod by J. North Conway and Jesse Dubuc. Conway also authored The Cape Cod Canal.

Writer’s Block Conway, a poet and author with a lengthy list of publications, also writes a column called “Writer’s Block” which profiles a local or regional author It appears weekly in the Sunday Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette, as well as their online counterparts.

The local writers and writers with local connections he has featured include Rev. Dr. Bill Comeau, Robert Waxler, Alan Powers, Michael J. Tougis, Terry Gaspard, Kate Sullivan, Penny Piva and, in the interest of

full disclosure, me.

In addition to Conway’s readers who are looking for good books, Jack has also donated signed copies of books from about twenty of the local and regional authors to the Fall River Public Library, the Taunton Public Library, and others. The goal is to make local writing available to local readers.

Some of the authors have also been interviewed on Arts and Entertainment with Kathy Castro on WSAR-AM. She also helps with book talks at the Fall River Public Library.

Just in time for Halloween, The Blessing: Ghosts of Gage Hill by Deborah Correia Romano will be the topic of the October 28 book talk in the meeting room of the library in downtown Fall River.

As a former neighbor, long-time family friend, and editor of the book, I’ll be there to talk about it. With luck, the author or another family member will be there – if not in person, then I’m sure in spirit.

Based on a true story, The Blessing tells the tale of Eileen Correia and her family who live in an eighteenth century house in Fall River’s North End. It recalls the mother’s life and death through the eyes of the oldest daughter.

But it also tells of the spirits and forces who make their presence known in what Eileen called, “the great bargain.” Right from the start, things seemed a little different in the big white house with its attached building and huge barn.

Romano recalls the first day the Correia family arrived. She looked up to see a man in the window. Her father didn’t see him and never admitted that anything strange happened in the house.

But in addition to the many family members who lived and visited the home, there were also guests from the past who made their presence known. The book tells the stories of spirits who shared the house – and of the mother who tried to keep them under control.

The Blessing is available at Annie’s Unique Boutique in Somerset, via Lulu.com and Amazon.com.

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The South Coast Insider / October 2015

31

DATELINE: SOUTH COAST

News, views and trends... from Mount Hope Bay to Buzzards Bay

by Elizabeth Morse Read

It’s time for beautiful foliage, pumpkins, corn mazes, spooky places, and the unofficial start to the holiday season. There are plenty of festivals, too, this month—beer fests, seafood fests, and harvest celebrations. Get out your sweaters and enjoy the outdoors! across the region

Sign up now for The Marion Institute’s 10th “Connecting for Change” conference on solutions-based sustainability and social justice on October 23-24 in downtown New Bedford. For full details, visit www.connectingforchange.org, www. marioninstitute.org or call 508-748-0816.

Plan ahead for the New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival on Pier 3 on October 18! For details, visit www.destinationnewbedford.org or call 508-990-2777.

Take the family to the Cranberry Harvest Festival on October 10-11 at Tihonet Village in Wareham! Food, music, children’s activities. For more info, visit www. cranberryharvest.org.

It’s harvest time on the South Coast! Fill your baskets with fresh local produce, cheeses, jellies, wines and pies. To find a farm, vineyard or farmers market near you, visit www.semaponline.org, www. pickyourown.org, www.farmfresh.org, or www.localharvest.org.

Calling all cyclists! Sign up for the 9th Annual Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride from Westport to Woods Hole on October 4! Register for “Bike for Clean Water” at www.savebuzzardsbay.org/ride.

If you’re a runner, sign up now for the Pell Bridge Run in Newport on October 25! For more info, go to www.pellbridgerun.com.

Any day now, the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs will decide whether or not the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe’s application to have land taken into trust to establish a reservation in Taunton will be approved – plans to build a tribal casino there cannot move forward without that approval. Stay tuned…

32

October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

UMass Dartmouth has been ranked 24th in the nation for its excellence in social mobility by Washington Monthly’s College Guide for its excellence in social mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), research (producing cutting-edge research and PhDs) and focus on community service. In a separate ranking, UMass Dartmouth’s online MBA in healthcare management was ranked 11th nationally by TheBestSchools. org. Also, in fiscal year 2015, UMass Dartmouth was awarded 65 US patents, earning $34 million in licensing income from commercialization of its patented faculty inventions.

Bristol Community College has received an innovation award for its solar carport and the new zero-net-energy science building by the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

Fall River native Jerri Kaplan Sher, who now lives in Hollywood, received two Emmy Awards for a documentary on homelessness that she produced and directed for Santa Monica City TV. Watch a video at www.stepuponsecond.org.

bristol

Celebrate Oktoberfest every Wednesday and Thursday this month at Redlefsen’s Rotisserie & Grill!

For details, call 401-254-1188 or go to www.redlefsens.com.

Take the family to the Coggeshall Farm Museum.

For details, visit www.coggeshallfarm.org or call 401-253-9062.

carver

Take the kids to Edaville Railroad for Dino Land or Thomas the Tank Engine train rides! For more info, visit www.edaville.com or call 508-866-8190.

Return to the Middle Ages at King Richard’s Faire through October 25! For more info, call 508-8668600 or go to www.kingrichardsfaire.net.

dartmouth

Explore the trails, wildlife and scenery of the Mattapoisett River Reserve. Leashed dogs are welcome. Hike, fish, picnic, bird-watch – and it’s a great place for cross-country skiing, too! For more info, go to www.savebuzzardsbay.org.

Mark your calendar for the monthly Paskamansett Concert Series at the Dartmouth Grange Hall in Russells Mills. Joanne Doherty and Barbara Phaneuf will perform on October 10. For more info, call 401241-3793, or visit www.PaskamansettConcertSeries. weebly.com.

acushnet

Enjoy the Fall Family Fun-Fest at the Lloyd Center for the Environment in Dartmouth! For details call 508-990-0505 or visit www.lloydcenter.org.

Don’t miss the Harvest Festivals at the Silverbrook Farm on October 3-4, 10-11, and 17-18, or the Great Pumpkin Festival on October 24, a benefit for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of MA and RI. For more info, call 774-2021027 or visit www.thesilverbrookfarm.com.

fairhaven

Take the family to Fairhaven’s 3rd Annual Harvest Fun Day on October 10! Learn more at www.fairhaventours@aol.com or call 508-979-4085.

Japanophiles! Don’t miss the 15th Manjiro Festival on October 3 in the center of Fairhaven! If you’re interested in the history of Japan-America ties, visit the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship House, where it all began. Go to www.wmfriendshiphouse.org or call 508-995-1219 for details.

Meet your friends on Saturdays at the Oxford Book Haven and Café at the Church of the Good Shepherd in North Fairhaven. Fresh soups and desserts, used books on sale, WiFi. To learn more, visit www.goodshepherdfairhaven.com or call 508-992-2281.

Sleep well while you’re away from home.

fall river

Bristol Community College’s Culinary Arts program and the Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River are holding their annual Family Halloween Party on Friday, October 23. Reserve tickets no later than October 16. The reception begins at 5, with a buffet dinner at 5:30 in the Commonwealth College Center (G-Building) at BCC’s Fall River Campus. $10 for adults, $7 for children ages 3-12, children under three are free. Features crafts, costumes, delicious food, a spooky maze, and a petting zoo. For more information, call 508-678-2811 ext. 2111.

Boo! Check out the Haunted Rail Yard October 9-25 at the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad Museum and don’t miss the classic Bela Lugosi horror movie “Phantom Ship” on October 29 at the Fall River Marine Museum. For info, go to www.ahafallriver. com or call 508-294-5344.

It’s time for AHA! Fall River night! Head for City Hall on October 15 for “Fables and Folklore.”

For details, go to www.ahafallriver.com or call 508-294-5344.

Don’t miss the Battleship Brewfest on October 11 at Battleship Cove! Call 508-678-1100 x 101/2 for ticket info or visit www.battleshipcove.org.

Check out the largest collection of Titanic memorabilia in the U.S., including the one-ton model used in the 1953 movie, at the Fall River Marine Museum in Battleship Cove. For more info, call 508-674-3533 or visit www.marinemuseumfr.org.

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The Narrows Center for the Arts has a fabulous line-up – there’s Paula Cole October 10, Forever Young October 17, Muddy Waters Tribute October 23, Dave Davies of The Kinks October 24, Tom Rush November 7 – and much more! For schedule, visit www.narrowscenter.com or call 508-324-1926.

Plan ahead for Oktoberfest at the Fall River Country Club on October 23. For more details, call 508-678-9374.

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Mwah-ha-ha! Head for the Factory of Terror this month! For dates and info, call 508-324-1095 or visit www.MAHauntedHouses.com.

Spend a Sunday afternoon exploring the colonial-era Lafayette-Durfee House in Fall River! Call 508-873-8230 or go to www.lafayettedurfeehouse. org.

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Check out what’s going on at the Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River. For more info, go to www.cmgfr.org or call 508-672-0033.

lakeville Plan ahead for the New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival on Pier 3 on October 18!

For details, visit www.destinationnewbedford.org or call 508-990-2777.

Take the kids to Edaville Railroad for Dino Land or Thomas the Tank Engine train rides! For more info, visit www.edaville.com or call 508-866-8190.

Don’t miss the Lakeville Arts & Music festival on October 3! For more info, go to www.lakevillearts. com Do you dare to visit the Lakeville Haunted House? For tickets and info, call 508-923-0053 or go to www.lakevillehauntedhouse.com or www.

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middleboro

Don’t miss the Battleship Brewfest on October 11 at Battleship Cove! Call 508-678-1100 x 101/2 for ticket info or visit www.battleshipcove.org.

Take the kids to the Unscary Halloween Party, rain or shine, on October 24 at the Soule Homestead. For more info, go to www.soulehomestead.org or call 508-947-6744.

Sign up now for The Marion Institute’s 10th “Connecting for Change” Conference on solutions-based sustainability and social justice on October 23-24 in downtown New Bedford. For full details, visit www.connectingforchange. org, www.marioninstitute.org or call 508-748-0816.

Visit the Robbins Museum of Archeology – call 508-947-9005 or go to www.massarcheology.org.

middletown Don’t miss the 41st Annual Harvest Fair on October 3-4 at the Norman Bird Sanctuary! EcoTours for all ages. For info, visit www.normanbirdsanctuary.org or call 401-846-2577.

new bedford Take the family to Fairhaven’s 3rd Annual Harvest Fun Day on October 10! Learn more by calling 508-979-4085.

Enjoy the centennial season of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra at its performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah at the Zeiterion on October 18. For more info, call 508-999-6276 or visit www. nbsymphony.org.

Don’t miss the 10th Annual New Bedford Oktoberfest on October 3 at State Pier, sponsored by the South Coast Business Alliance! For details, go to www.scballiance.org and www.destinationnewbedford.org.

Sign up now for The Marion Institute’s 10th “Connecting for Change” conference on solutions-based sustainability and social justice on October 23-24 in downtown New Bedford. For full details, visit www.connectingforchange.org, www. marioninstitute.org or call 508-748-0816.

Celebrate Oktoberfest every Wednesday and Thursday this month at Redlefsen’s Rotisserie & Grill! For details, call 401-254-1188 or go to www.redlefsens.com.

Don’t miss WHALe’s 25th Annual International Wine Festival and Auction on October 2 at State Pier in New Bedford! For more info, visit www.waterfrontleague.org and www.destinationnewbedford.org.

Continued ON PAGE 36

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October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

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Make the holidays brighter for families in need by attending the 10th Annual Kickoff Dinner to benefit the Salvation Army of New Bedford and Fall River on October 17 at White’s of Westport. For tickets, contact Manuela Cimbron at 508-995-8365 or at ela@ tetreaultinsurnce.com.

Don’t miss “Boo at the Zoo!” at Buttonwood Park Zoo! For dates and details, call 508-991-6178 or visit www.bpzoo.org.

Enjoy the humor and music of the Scottish “North Sea Gas” at the Wamsutta Club in New Bedford on October 14. For info, call 508-509-2670 or go to www.detinationnewbedford.org/event/ north-sea-gas-concert.

Take a tour of the city’s historic district and the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park! For more info, go to www.nps.gov/nebe. And while you’re there, explore New Bedford’s evolution from a whaling port to an industrial giant at the new exhibit “Energy and Enterprise: Industry and the City of New Bedford” at the Whaling Museum. For more info, visit www.whalingmuseum.org or call 508-997-0046.

Curtain time! Plan ahead for “Dracula” performed

by Your Theatre in New Bedford on November 12-16, 19-22. For info, call 508-993-0772 or go to www. yourtheatre.org.

Check out the “Summer Whites” vintage clothing exhibit through October at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House. For more info, call 508-997-1401 or visit www.rjdmuseum.org.

It’s all happenin’ at the Z! Head for the Zeiterion for Colin Quinn October 10, Peter Frampton on October 13, the NBSO performing Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” October 18, Nosferatu and Rocky Horror Picture Show October 31, and Arlo Guthrie on November 13. Go to www.zeiterion.org or call 508-999-6276.

Enjoy FREE family fun and entertainment on AHA! Nights – The October 8 theme is “Down on the Farm.” The November 12 theme is “No Place Like Home.” Go to www.ahanewbedford.org or call 508-996-8253.

newport

Sign up now for the Pell Bridge Run on October 25! For more info, go to www.pellbridgerun.com.

Mark your calendar for the 25th Annual Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival on October 17-18 and experience one of the top ten fall festivals, according to Coastal Living Magazine. Family-friendly, free admission, great food, music under the tents, rain or shine. Get details at www.bowenswharf.com.

Don’t miss Halloween Movie Night at Ballard Park on October 17. For more info, go to www.ballardpark.org.

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October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

Plan a dinner-theatre night out! ”The Odd Couple” will be performed through October 18 at the Newport Playhouse. For more information, call 401848-7529 or go to www.newportplayhouse.com.

Take a Newport harbor/lighthouse cruise through October 31! Call 401-295-4040 or visit www.rhodeislandbaycruises.com.

plymouth

Plan a day-trip to Plimouth Plantation (www. plimouth.org or 508-746-1622) and visit nearby Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II.

portsmouth

Find your way through Escobar Farm’s famous 8-acre corn maze! Don’t miss the Halloween Party on October 25. For details, visit www.escobarshighlandfarms.com, www.cornfieldmaze.com or call 401864-1064 or 401-683-1444.

Get back to your musical roots at Common Fence Music! There’s The Gothard Sisters October 3, Mary Gauthier October 17, Malcolm Holcombe October 24. For more info, visit www.commonfencemusic.org or call 401-683-5085.

providence

Join in the ultimate celebration of street music, PRONK!, on October 12 in downtown Providence.

For more info, go to www.providencehonkfest.org.

Scare yourself silly on a night-time Providence Ghost Tour through the historic East Side throughout October. Learn more at www.providenceghosttour. com.

“Dry Land” will make its New England premiere through October 6, performed by The Wilbury Theatre Group. For info, call 401-400-7100 or visit www.thewilburygroup.org.

Don’t miss the stunning performances at Rhode Island College – the National Circus of the People’s Republic of China on October 15, the Compania Flamenca Jose Porcal on October 27. For info and tickets, call 401-456-8144 or visit www.ric.edu/pfa.

Explore the Children’s Museum in Providence! Go to www.childrenmuseum.org or call 401-273-5437.

Woohoo! Get ready for the 23rd Annual Oktoberfest October 17-18 at India Point Park in Providence! For details, go to www.riwaterfrontevents.com or call 888-900-8640.

Be amazed by WaterFire in downtown Providence at sunset on October 3. Get details at www.waterfire.org. Or take a romantic Venetian gondola ride through Providence! Make your reservation at 401421-8877 or go to www.gondolari.com.

Find out what’s on stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center! Plan ahead for Josh Groban October 2, An Evening with Davud Dedaris October 12, Disney’s “Newsies” October 20-25, “Motown: The Musical” November 3-8 – and much more! Call 401421-2787 or go to www.ppacri.org.

The East Bay Bike Path from Providence to Bristol was voted the Best Bike Trail in Rhode Island by “Yankee Magazine”. Learn more at www.riparks.com.

Don’t miss “Julius Caesar” at Trinity Rep through October 11. For more info, call 401-351-4242 or go to www.trinityrep.com.

swansea

Kids of all ages will love “Spooky Sundae” events on weekends at Simcock Farm this month. Call 508944-1775, 508-673-5721 or visit www.simcockfarm. com for details.

taunton

Boooo! Visit the Ghoulie Manor on Galleria Mall Drive this Halloween season. For dates and info, go to www.ghouliemanor.com or www.

MAHauntedHouses.com.

tiverton

The Sandywoods Center for the Arts will present Louis Leeman & Chuck Williams on October 16, Gong Sound Bath October 24, the Providence Mandolin Orchestra October 30, and contra dancing on the third Wednesday of every month. For a complete schedule, go to www.sandywoodsmusic.com or call 401-241-7349.

Find out what’s happening at Tiverton Four Corners! Get details at www.fourcornersarts.org and www.tivertonfourcorners.com.

warren

Find out what’s playing at 2nd Story Theatre!

“Dangerous Corner” will be performed through October 18. Call 401-247-4200 or go to www.2ndstorytheatre.com.

Don’t miss the Pumpkin Weigh-Off on October 10 or the Pumpkin Palooza activities on Wednesdays at Frerich’s Farm! For more info, visit www.frerichsfarm. com or call 401-245-8245.

westport

Explore 18th and 19th-century life at the Handy House. Don’t miss Dr. Handy’s Spooky Skeleton Hunt on October 24! For more info, visit www. wpthistory.org or call 508-636-6011.

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ON MY MIND

The man under the bridge

By Paul E. Kandarian

e walked up to me in a long shamble, feet shuffling, clothes drawn tight.

Gaunt and thin, his hands were stuffed into pockets to ward off the early-evening chill. It seemed he was wearing and carrying everything he owned. Or ever would.

I’m a fairly cynical guy. I’ve been around long enough to become familiar with the routine of the homeless. I know how to avoid them and giving them no money they’d likely use to feed whatever addiction they have. Whatever it was that put them on the street in the first place.

Rule number one: Never make eye contact.

Look down, look left, look right, look away. Just never make eye contact. You don’t know what you might see.

“Excuse me, sir, can you spare anything?”

The voice was calm, polite. I sat in front of my hotel in Seattle, smoking in an upscale area of the city that made his presence all the more jarring in its unexpectedness and the unsettling discomfort of what it represented.

“I’m hungry,” he said. “I’m not gonna buy booze or drugs. I’m just gonna get something to eat.”

I’ve heard it many times and knew better. I knew better this time. Or thought I did, having the advantage of a place to live and a few bucks in my pocket.

“Uh, how about a smoke, buddy?” I said, still avoiding eye contact, casting a sidelong glance at him. “Want a cigarette instead?”

“No sir,” he said wearily. “I don’t smoke, I don’t

38

October 2015 / The South Coast Insider

drink, I don’t do drugs. I’m a veteran, and just want something to eat.”

Then I broke rule number one: I looked right at him. I made eye contact. There, flashing with surprising sincerity and calmness on a ruggedly worn black face, were his dark eyes: Clear. Unclouded.

Genuine.

“There’s a store around the block, a market, they got food there,” he said quietly, no urgency in his voice, just a gnawing need, a growl in his belly and heart. “I’m goin’ there and gonna get somethin’ to eat.

I’m just hungry.”

I believed him.

I know that most homeless people are as gifted at lying as Heifetz was playing the fiddle. At least those who aren’t legitimately flat-out crazy and impossible to understand—like the profanity-spewing, wiggly-eyed homeless guy I later saw shrieking

through Pike’s Place Market, shocking tourists and ignored by locals.

It’s a game, making up lies to get you to part with money you have no obligation to give them.

It’s their trade, their skill set, part the art of street survival. Most play it very well and lie in a way politicians could learn from.

I thought this guy could teach it—if he were lying.

But I honestly believed he wasn’t. I honestly believed his honesty.

It was the eyes, the most telling part of us, the windows to our essence. His were clear and lucid, not plaintive and pathetic. They were sad and soulful—and sincere.

I looked him square in his eyes, and unlike many homeless I’ve met, he looked me squarely in mine.

There was no smile, just a resignation to his lot in life. To what he had to do to keep living it.

Then I did something perhaps too few of us do: I talked to him. I had a conversation with a homeless man. I spoke to someone in a place that is the last any of us could imagine being. Maybe that’s why we don’t. Maybe we fear that there but for the grace of our god, luck, a downturn in health or wealth, go we.

“You’re a veteran?” I asked. “You’re not bs’ing me are you? My son’s a veteran, Army infantry, Afghanistan.”

“No sir, I’m a veteran,” he said not proudly, just matter-of-factly, and then telling me where he served and the years, all of which sounded plausible.

He told me he “lived” down the street. Under a bridge, which is tough, he said. If you get anything at all, other homeless will steal whatever meager items you have.

“I give you money,” I asked, “where you going?

Right now, what would you do?”

“There’s a store around the block, a market, they got food there,” he said quietly, no urgency in his voice, just a gnawing need, a growl in his belly and heart. “I’m goin’ there and gonna get somethin’ to eat. I’m just hungry.”

We kept looking into each other’s eyes. Man to man. Human to human. Maybe switching places, wondering about each other’s lives. What it would be like.

“What happened?” I asked quietly, earnestly.

“How’d this happen, how’d you get here?”

His head cocked slightly on sagging shoulders, his eyes staying on mine.

“Oh sir, I don’t wanna talk bout that, it’s depressing, ya know?”

“Do you get help?” I asked. “Do you go anywhere, the VA, do you get help?”

“I try sir, but there’s too many of us,” he said.

And that’s no lie. As the greatest country on Earth, we churn our young through the meat grinder of war, bringing them home as damaged goods and then dragging our economic and political feet when it comes to fixing what we’ve broken.

I reached for my wallet. He never looked away from my eyes. His expression never changed as I fished out a five and handed it to him.

“Thank you sir, thank you,” he said as I shook his hand, calloused, cracked, and worn.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Raymond, sir, it’s Raymond,” he answered.

“Best of luck , Raymond,” I said as went. “Take care of yourself, OK?” “I will, sir, and thanks again,” Raymond said, drifting away.

I ate very well that night at a Five Star restaurant in a posh hotel.

Raymond ate whatever my five bucks got him under a bridge. I don’t feel guilty about that. I feel lucky to have helped him. And to have talked to him, eye-to-eye.

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Making people feel at home. It’s the mission of one of the town of Fairhaven’s historic treasures – the Delano Homestead. The 10-room, 3,800 square foot treasure was once the residence of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's mother, and where he spent summers and holidays. Today it’s home to a charming bed & breakfast, the Delano Homestead Bed & Breakfast, which draws visitors from around the world.

Paul Beauchamp, Proprietor of the Delano Homestead Bed & Breakfast and When Paul Beauchamp, proprietor, St. Anne’s Credit Union Commercial Lender Stephen Parr. opened the Bed & Breakfast 14 years ago, he understood the important role local businesses would play in his success. “We rely on local businesses and restaurants to help serve our customers and are proud to help bring them business from guests around the world.”

So when Beauchamp was seeking business financing, he didn’t have to look far to find the perfect financial partner – St. Anne’s Credit Union. “It was important to me to do business with a local institution that cares about the community. That’s St. Anne’s.”

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