South Coast Insider - April 2011

the south coast April 2011 / Vol. 15 / No. 4

coastalmags.com

Home help Recyle and save Try a natural lawn Low cost home improvements

Business buzz Get the job you want Support community agriculture

Cover sponsored by Fall River Municipal Credit Union

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APRIL 2011

Contents In Every Issue

5

From the publisher

FOOD NOTES

THINGS TO DO

20

14

6

Dateline: South Coast

by Elizabeth Morse Read

Join a CSA

by Melissa Tavares

WINE NOTES

by Joyce Rowley

28

Fairhaven’s treasure

10

Words: Spring emerging

30

Go Nebbiolo

by Alton Long

40

by Dick Clark

Recycle!

by Dick Clark

Happenings: Ongoing events

ALL ABOUT YOU

12

On my mind: Proud and scared

by Paul E. Kandarian

32

36

Business buzz: Get that job

Tick Talk

by Charles Pinning

22

Spring clean your liver

by Jay Pateakos

Classical South Coast

REGIONAL NEWS

by David M. Prentiss

38

Tarot-Scopes

by The Celtic Cricket and Duir Kell

16

34

by Lynn Tondat Ruggeri

South Coast Pathway

by Adam Recchia

COVER STORY

18

Safer lawn solutions

by Lynn Tondat Ruggeri

24

Cost saving improvements

2

by Elizabeth Morse Read

April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

ON THE COVER Suzanne Catraio and Cherie Ashton from Fall River Municipal Credit Union helped many South Coast residents at the recent Home and Garden Show at Diman Regional High School. This month’s cover is sponsored

by Fall River Municipal Credit Union where they’re ready to help finance your home and business projects. For more information visit www.frmcu.com.

Money Minute Tips Home Equity Basics

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The South Coast Insider / April 2011

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April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

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FROM THE PUBLISHER April 2011 / Vol. 15 / No. 4

Maybe, just maybe, the snow is gone for good—it’s time to

Published by Coastal Communications Corp.

enjoy the greening of the South Coast!

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Ljiljana Vasiljevic

To help with your home, Lynn Tondat Ruggeri offers some safe alternatives to lawn care, and Joyce Rowley suggests that

Editors Joe Murphy Michael J. Vieira, Ph.D. Contributors The Celtic Cricket, Dick Clark, Paul E. Kandarian, Duir Kell, Alton Long, Tom Lopes, Jay Pateakos, Charles Pinning, David M. Prentiss, Elizabeth Morse Read, Adam Recchia, Joyce Rowley, Lynn Tondat Ruggeri, Melissa Tavares 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 ©2011 Coastal Communications Corp.

Deadline 20 days prior to publication.

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

the best way to save is to recycle. It’s time to play outside, but be sure to check for ticks; Charles Pinning tells why.

This month we welcome two exciting new features: Dateline: South Coast delivers surprises and news of quirky events from around and about, in the almost stream-of-consciousness style of the best incisive, irascible commentators on the airwaves in bygone days. Spend some time with Words, a thoughtful critique of things close and distant, within ourselves and touching us from afar.

Looking for things to do? Discover a Fairhaven treasure with Dick Clark, be introduced to Mr. Plano with David M. Prentiss, and check out the South Coast Pathway with Adam Recchia.

Plus, Jay Pateakos gives advice for job hunters, Elizabeth More Read offers costsaving home improvements and Lynn Tondat Ruggeri tells how to spring clean your liver—yes, you read that correctly.

Support local farmers by joining a CSA, taste some fine Northern Italian wines, and learn what’s going on in the region through our new Dateline feature.

Enjoy!

Circulation 30,000 Subscriptions $25 per year

Ljiljana Vasiljevic Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Address The South Coast Insider 144 Purchase Street • PO Box 3493 Fall River, MA 02722 Tel: (508) 677-3000 Fax: (508) 677-3003

Website http://www.coastalmags.com

E-mail editor@coastalmags.com Our advertisers make this publication possible–please support them

The South Coast Insider / April 2011

5

DATELINE: SOUTH COAST

News, views and trends

from the East Bay to Buzzards Bay

by Elizabeth Morse Read

Starting this month, The Insider will share brief updates from the communities that we know and love. Watch for it in upcoming issues!

Across the Region: the South Coast Bikeway, which would stretch fifty miles from the Rhode Island border in Swansea to the Cape Cod Canal, has gained momentum from advocate groups who see it as a potential economic and health-promoting project. Ultimately, the bikeway could be linked to the proposed Maine-to-Florida East Coast Bikeway, offering the bicycling equivalent of the Appalachian Trail (Maybe we can have bikeathons?)… According to a recent national survey, the commute through Providence-Fall River-New Bedford is the third leaststressful commute in the country. (Ha! Tell that to me next time I try to get to the Dartmouth Mall!)… The Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) is looking to coordinate 911 calls throughout the South Coast. (Let’s hope we don’t have any hurricanes before that happens!)

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April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

Acushnet: Like Westport, the town will display a 6-foot steel beam from the World Trade Center…While dredging the upper harbor of the Acushnet River, the EPA unearthed a 200-year old shipwreck (Buried treasures?)

Dartmouth: Dartmouth High School’s student orchestra will be performing in Austria over spring vacation…World-known classical pianist Roberto Plano visited Friends Academy music classes (Sounds like Dartmouth is a pretty musical town!)

HAWTHORN MEDICAL

welcomes

Neurologist and Sleep Medicine Specialist

Fairhaven: The town will celebrate its 200th birthday next year, and community planners are already busy (There will be a beard-growing contest!)… Residents along the harbor have been suffering through the blare of a malfunctioning foghorn that seems to defy repair.

Freetown: is seeking a state grant to upgrade their 911 call center capabilities, which haven’t been upgraded since 1979 (Keep your fingers crossed!)

Mattapoisett: Attend a hands-on session on grilling

Board Certified in Neurology and Sleep Medicine, Dr. Cuebas specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with symptoms and conditions such as:  stroke  headaches  memory loss  multiple sclerosis  seizures  Parkinson s disease and other movement disorders  dizziness  numbness  balance problems He also sees patients at the Hawthorn Sleep Center, providing comprehensive sleep evaluations and polysomnography interpretations for sleep disorders.

He is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Call 508-996-3991 for an appointment.

healthy summer appetizers (go to www.learnconnect.com for details).

Rehoboth: Attend a hands-on session on how to build a stone wall (www.learnconnect.com for details).

Rochester: Visit a highly-rated gourmet/artisanal bakery (or take a few baking classes). Go to www.theartisankitchen. com for details.

HAWTHORN MEDICAL ASSOCIATES 535 Faunce Corner Road | Dartmouth, MA 508-996-3991 | www.hawthornmed.com An affiliate of Partners Community Healthcare, Inc.

Continued on next page The South Coast Insider / April 2011

7

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Fall River: is looking to hire a trained tree warden/arborist to plant, maintain and remove shade trees throughout the city (Will he do the raking, too?)... Native son Emeril Lagasse will launch a new cooking program called “The Originals” in May on the Cooking Channel (Kicking it up another notch, eh?)… the city is the fifth American city to ban the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies and other health-care institutions (They haven’t been already?)… Actress Chloe Sevigny will play Lizzie Borden in an upcoming HBO miniseries (Here come the tourists!)… in 2010, fourteen U.S. patents were awarded to Fall River companies and inventors, everything from microsurgical devices to insulated microfiber… Citizens Union Savings Bank has pledged $125,000 to Bishop Stang High School’s $6 million expansion campaign (Go, Spartans!)

Swansea: After a years-long face-off in court, the Town

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— Coastal Real Estate — 8

April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

will now bring all its facilites and programs into compliance with the Americans with Disability Act of 1990... The Agreement between Swansea and the United States of America says that 16 percent of the town’s residents have a disability and will benefit from the Agreement (www.ada.gov/swansea_pca/swansea_facsht.html).

Tiverton: is negotiating with the environmental company, Waste Zero, to manage its “pay-as-you-throw” trash program… the town is seeking volunteers to assist during emergency events to coordinate a medical emergency point of distribution site (call Town Clerk at 401-635-4400 for details).

Wareham: SEMAP (Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership), a non-profit organization dedicated to local food and sustainable farming, visited the Home Show at the Garden Center; they will host more exhibits and workshops throughout the region (go to www.semaponline. org for details).

When You Think of Special Occasions Think of The Claddagh Connection je w elry sa le 15-20% of f — First Communion — 15% OF F Designed A New Collection of Beautiful Jewelry Specifically for First Communion for the Girls Celtic Crosses and Tie Tacks for the Boys — Mother’s Day — Jewelry v Giftware v Clothing for the Moms

New Bedford: has been nominated as one of the dozen “Distinctive Destinations” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation... Tourist/Cruise ship visits to the Whaling City have been growing every year (And don’t forget the festivals and fabulous food!)… The city has entered into an agreement with Community Rowing Inc. (CRI) to develop a plan to make rowing available to local students and residents; dredging for a launch and boathouse near the old Fairhaven Mills site has already begun.

CRI is the largest rowing organization in the world (So if you don’t want to exercise on the bicycle path, work out on the water!)… And GreenFleet is looking for city students 13-18 to participate in its free 2011 boat-building program.

Students will learn about traditional tools and the craft of boat-building, how to row and sail their boats, as well as math, science and history. Go to greenfleetonline.org for details. (Sounds like things are rolling on the Acushnet River!)

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Westport: The Hixville Fire Station will be displaying an I-beam from New York City’s World Trade Center to commemorate those who died on 9/11 (The town sent some of their own firefighters after the attack)... The School Committee is seeking federal grants for several green building projects such as a new roof and windows for both the high school and middle school (Let the sun shine in!).

259 Thames Street • Bristol, RI

401-254-8954

www.oldechinatrader.com The South Coast Insider / April 2011

9

WORDS

Spring!

It’s an Emergent-cy!

by Dick Clark The bright tulips, bursting into bloom, the daffodils bobbing in the breeze and the frilly forsythia are the festive decorations celebrating the arrival of Spring. They invite us all to loosen up from our winter rigidness and tension and to experience the vibrant rhythm of Creation’s changing, emerging seasons…with, for us, a New England accent.

There are many ways of responding to this vernal invitation. You could even go into the back yard and lie down upon the ground, stretching out full length, surrendering yourself to the reality of your connection to the entire universe.

Who cares if the neighbors see you? It’s your life! And your life is definitely a part of the universe. You can celebrate this connection in any way you please.

The universe within Many of our ills and problems come from a forgetfulness of our connection to and our place in the universe. Brian Swimme, of the California Institute of Integral Studies, knows a lot about the universe…as a mathematical cosmologist. He offers this observation: “We have billions of years of the universe present in us, in our bodies…We have energy coursing through us from our last meal.

This energy is from the sun. The sun has poured out its energy, which has been absorbed by the earth and transformed into food. So the sun’s energy is coursing through us, but the sun gets its energy from the hydrogen atoms which got their energy from the birth of the universe. The energy from the birth of the universe is coursing through us,” even as you read these words and hold this magazine in your hands.

You don’t really have to lie on the ground or hug a tree to recognize and affirm your connectedness to the universe.

All you really have to do is put your hand over your heart and feel your personal energizer…pumping away, circulating the energy of the cosmos and delivering it to every cell in your body without even a thought on your part. That realization should make you feel like dancing…or shouting… or hugging a tree or kissing your cat or dog!

The power of emergence The arrival of spring with the greening grass, the bud10

April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

ding trees and the bursting flowers is like an explosion of energy, one that is part of a rhythmic process and part of a clear design that Dr. Swimme calls “an going creative event.”

He calls it the “power of emergence,” and he sees it as “the greatest discovery in the history of the human sciences – that the universe as a whole, and each being within it, is permeated with the power of emergence.”

Back to the tulips with which I began While snow still blanketed the ground, a sprout emerged from the buried bulb. Day by day, that sprout emerged further and further skyward. Soon the flower itself emerged.

That tulip is a living symbol of the universe and the power of emergence that throbs within every cell of your body.

I have no idea of your age, but if you’re like me, you may feel that most of your petals have already fallen in the springtimes long past. So what could possibly emerge from us at this point in time? Just remember that you’re no tulip and neither am I. Our consciousness puts us in a much different category than tulips and daffodils. We can dream, imagine, visualize, anticipate and create.

Looking beyond our selves Through our consciousness we can become active participants in the process of emergence, and our age is not a negative factor. It can even be a virtue if it has brought to us the ability to see beyond the present, to recognize opportunities wrapped in the challenges of life.

Change, or transmutation, is a force at work in the universe and it appears to be affected or perhaps even altered by us, by human beings. Global warming is but one example of the negative effect of our lifestyle. This expanded consciousness that comes with maturity can provide insightful guidance and direction, leading to a more positive emergence…for all living beings.

With maturity also comes hindsight, a process by which we see more clearly the ways in which people and events have affected and shaped our lives. It helps us to recognize that some of our decisions were not wise and could have been made differently. With hindsight we can identify those individuals who were our best mentors and to recognize that they are still part of our lives even now and part of our

emergence.

It does take a “village” to raise a child,” a big village! As Dr. Swimme observes: “each being in the universe depends in various ways upon other beings in the universe. Our own existence… depends upon tiny organisms in the Pacific Ocean as well as the activity of protons in the sun. Seen from the outside, this power is interconnectivity; seen from the inside, this power is care or compassion.”

Many centuries ago, a songwriter penned these words: What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?

You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty!

All things considered, maybe you should go into your backyard and lie upon the ground and literally feel your place in the universe. As you lie there, hurl this question into the cosmos: Who am I that I am so favored to be here…in this place…at this time?

If you’re not that agile, just go ahead and hug a tree, but submit the same question. The answer may not be immediately forthcoming, but the fact that you ask the question is evidence of your emergent potential. The more you recognize that potential, the more exciting, emergent and positively challenging your life will become.

Most important of all is the recognition that, by virtue of our creation, we have power…emergent power! It is the same power that draws the tulip out of the ground and coaxes the tree to reach higher and higher skyward. Should we not also be reaching higher, intellectually, morally and politically?

The Universe is counting on us!

Have a happy and emergent Spring!

Acushnet River

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The South Coast Insider / April 2011

11

ON MY MIND

My heart aches and rejoices

by Paul E. Kandarian

I played hockey today up in Hingham on a rainy, early-March morning with my son, Paul, 22. It was at the same rink we’ve played together on occasion in recent years and where, long ago, he scored his first goal as a youth hockey player. I coached him there some years, froze as a spectator in the stands during others, relishing every ice-cold minute of a time I knew would pass far too quickly.

He played well this day, skated hard, passed with precision, scored some good goals. He looked like he knew what he was doing out there. I couldn’t have been prouder.

It was our last time playing together for a while because at the end of March, he was scheduled to go to war. He’s in the Army infantry, the boots-on-theground people who go willingly into harm’s way and lay their lives on the line for the rest of us. I hope he knows what he’s doing out there.

12

April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

And I couldn’t be any prouder. Or more scared.

Funny thing about kids and growing up, it happens right before your eyes and no matter how much you want it to stop, it doesn’t.

Those times you have with them as kids, watching them play sports, taking them on trips, holding them wriggling on your lap, are the times you need to last the longest. But cruelly, they fly away the fastest.

It’s not fair, of course. It’s just life.

My son and I are as close as any father and son can be; same with my daughter, and the times I had with them growing up, good, bad and ugly, are times I wouldn’t trade for anything.

We went through a really bad patch in recent years, he and I, the fights we had, the things we said that I ache to recall.

But the love we felt for each other never wavered for an instant. I like to

think it’s what got us through.

Then he straightened out, on his own, joined the Army and is going to war. Along the way, he got married, taking us all by surprise, rushing headlong into manhood and the responsibility it brings in a way I could never have imagined myself doing at his age.

As the saying goes, he went and got all growed up, in the blink of a parental eye. Amazing how that happens.

There were signs, of course. When he was a kid, we’d play ping pong and I’d beat him, every time, no matter how hard he tried. I don’t believe in letting kids win for the sake of letting them win. Let them earn it, and in defeat, learn the lessons it brings.

Well, the last couple of years, he’s been beating me. And in hockey, I’m a goalie, he’s a forward, and in years past, he never beat me. In years recent, he has, no matter how hard I

try. There’s a lesson for me to learn in there somewhere, and it may be in knowing that he beating me gives me far more pleasure than I ever got beating him.

I went up to his duty station, Fort Drum, a few weeks ago for a deployment ceremony, one of great pomp and circumstance and musical and symbolic bluster that chilled me to the bone when I realized, looking down at all those scrub-faced young soldiers, some will come back just fine and some will come back physically and/or emotionally scarred.

And some won’t come back at all.

I drove home, alone, with thoughts of long ago and thoughts of what could be fighting for control of my brain. I’m not sure which prevailed, I just know which made me comfortable and which decidedly did not. So I just turned up the radio really loud.

Seemed to work, for awhile.

I hate war, all war, what sensible, feeling human doesn’t? I hate this war in particular, in part because my son will be in it, in part because it doesn’t make sense to me that we’re still there. Is there ground being gained, are goals being achieved, is the foundation for a war-free future being laid? I don’t know. I just know that thousands of young men and women have died in the interim, leaving behind fathers and mothers and sons and daughters to pay a price they’ll never stop paying.

But I am heartened by an America that while hating the war, supports its troops in a way not seen since World War II. I’m not sure if that helps or not.

I want to think it does.

On the way back from hockey today, from the same rink of his long-ago childhood, he snoozed, the same way he did as a kid after a big game. I watched and wanted and wished, but that little guy wasn’t there anymore, just a strapping, fresh-faced young man with shaved head and a willing selflessness to do the right thing.

I was always there for him as a kid, and now, he’s there for me, for all of us.

I don’t know many soldiers but love all of them with all my heart—one more than all the rest.

ARE YOU BEING TREATED FOR ASTHMA BUT STILL EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS?

The South Coast Insider / April 2011

13

THINGS TO DO

Think green,

save green—recycle!

By Joyce Rowley

My mother always said you wouldn’t have to do springcleaning if you cleaned well enough year round.

Perhaps. But for some of us it’s just not spring unless we clean out cupboards, shake out rugs, and rummage through the shed to rediscover seed pots, trowels and lawn chairs. And in the process a good bit ends up at the curb.

As Earth Day approaches this April 22nd, remember to recycle as you do your spring-cleaning. You might just save your community a little green as you clean.

When Earth Day started in 1970, they could not have foreseen all of its environmental offspring. We recycle today as a direct result of those first 20 million college protesters who held a “sit-in” to oppose pollution. Back then, many people thought recycling would never catch on. It was “those crazy environmentalists” who said recycling would keep the Earth’s resources from being turned into garbage. But the environmentalists were right.

Recycling reduces Recycling does reduce the amount of raw materials that have to be mined or manufactured. For example, fewer forests have to be cut to produce boxes and paper towels. That’s a double bonus—more carbon dioxide taken up by trees and less put out into the air from a smokestack.

Then there’s the environmental benefit of keeping plastics, metals, and

14

April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

paper out of a landfill or an incinerator.

Door mats, flip-flops, boxes, paper towels, and copy paper are just a few of the products you can buy now with up to 50% “post-consumer” recycled content.

A magazine you read today may be from the one you threw into a blue bin last winter.

Recycling saves And if all that didn’t convince you to recycle, think about the green in your wallet. It costs to burn or landfill trash.

“Cost avoidance, that’s one of the benefits,” says Fairhaven Board of Health Director Pat Fowle. Fairhaven has curbside pick-up, and a recycling center for extra convenience. The market for recyclables may vary, but let’s face it—no one will ever pay you for your garbage.

For the Town of Acushnet, it meant a savings of $12,361 last year. That’s the difference in cost between sending it to the incinerator and sending it to a recycling company. The 579 tons of recyclables cost only $2,200 when offset by sales of most of the material. It would have cost $14,561 to send to the SEMass incinerator.

Sometimes recyclables can even bring in the green.

Dartmouth began a Pay-as-YouThrow (PAYT) system and reduced their trash disposal costs substantially.

An $80 base fee is charged for trash pick-up and residents pay $1-2 per bag of trash. The incentive was so great Dartmouth now recycles 34% of their waste stream. And they got back $76,884 from selling the recycled materials*.

New Bedford found it easier to keep curbside trash pick-up included with property taxes. Purchasing special trash bags seemed impractical with so many apartment buildings. But New Bedford does require recycling. In fact, they gave out 4,287 blue bins in 2010 alone. Their efforts paid off. According to Marissa Perez-Dormitzer, District Recycling Coordinator, Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District, the City collected enough recyclables to earn $175,042 in 2010.

Towns pay Freetown and Westport have variations on PAYT. Freetown, like Dartmouth, requires that residents pay per bag using bags purchased either through the town offices or at retail centers. The system is new, but recycling is up, said Jeff Frechette, Recycling Coordinator.

Westport has been using a punchcard system since 1997, according to Nancy Paquet, Principal Clerk at the Board of Health. After paying a $10 sticker fee, residents can bring their trash in any bag or container up to a 33-gallons for $3, with no charge for recyclables. People are more careful about what goes into a trash bag if they have to pay for each bag. Recycled materials brought Westport $38,408 in revenues.

In all, 9,435 tons of plastic, paper, and metals were recycled in 2010 from these South Coast communities. That’s 18.9 million pounds of materials not being burned or taking up space in a landfill in just one year.

Now, if we can just get those litterbugs to stop tossing trash out car windows…

You’re invited!

What:

Spring Fling Week

Where: Buttonwood Park Zoo When:

April 18-22 Monday-Friday

Combine your auto and home insurance for maximum discount

Free Daily Activities with Zoo Admission

www.bpzoo.org

101 Ferry Road (Rt. 114) Bristol, RI 02809

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WAREHAM

Find out more: blithewold.org or 401.253.2707

508.295.9622

Contact the branch for further information and event times.

Fairy Festival Sunday May 1st

508.997.0734

Afternoon Teas Wed - Fri 1:30 & 3 p.m.

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Special exhibits inspired by the gardens: RISD CE student art show & paintings from the Blithewold Collection

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15

Tick talk Spring is here and the ticks are hungry!

Should you be concerned? If you leave the house and venture off the porch, if you have pets who leave the house and return, the answer is, yes.

Ticks carry several diseases, but by far the most prevalent is Lyme Disease. In 2009, Massachusetts had 4019 confirmed cases of Lyme Disease, and Rhode Island, 150.

Nationwide, 30,000 cases were reported. Left untreated, the ravages of Lyme Disease are the near equivalent of syphilis with none of the fun in the getting.

You might scoff and say, but what are my chances of getting Lyme Disease?

True, even in Massachusetts, which ranks third in the nation behind New York and New Jersey, confirmed cases account for only 61 out of 100,000 persons. But remember, those are confirmed, and most residents do not 16

April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

live in high risk rural areas. How many are hobbling about in various stages of the disease, misdiagnosed as being arthritic, forgetful, fatigued…plagued with migraines, heart problems…diseases of the central nervous system?

Bad knees?

And how many do not seek treatment because they lack medical insurance? Also, many doctors do not take Lyme disease patients because some insurers don’t cover the cost of longterm treatment of the disease.

by Charles Pinning

varied. However, it all came together in 1975 when a number of cases with identical symptoms cropped up near Lyme Connecticut, and the disease was given a name.

Each year, the incidence of Lyme disease increases. This can be attributed to the ever-greater encroachment of humans upon land formerly forested or wild, bringing deer, rodents, and wildlife into closer contact with people.

Although the “deer tick” is associated with the transmission of Lyme disease, the connection to deer is not as direct as the name implies. The disease bacterium is carried primarily by small rodents, in particular the whitefooted mouse (what most simply call a field mouse) and chipmunks, who pass it to the black-legged “deer tick” who then pass it along to us.

What’s in a name?

What we call Lyme disease has been around for thousands of years.

Speculation upon the cause was

The road map In the spring, a female tick lays about 3000 eggs in its preferred spot, usually

© Alexandre17 | Dreamstime.com

ALL ABOUT YOU

leaves on the ground. The eggs develop into larvae which then feed on small animals, like the mouse and chipmunk, and become infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

Over the fall, they molt into nymphs who go dormant through the winter.

When they awake in the spring, these nymphs are starving for a blood meal and feed on larger animals like a deer or…you. The engorged female tick then drops off, lays her eggs on the ground, and the cycle begins anew. Individual ticks have a two year life span.

One can be bitten by an adult tick year round, but it is when the tick is in the nymphal stage, April through August, that it is most aggressive, hungry for a blood meal, and dangerous. A nymph tick is about the size of a poppy seed and difficult to see, whereas an adult is more plainly visible and likely to be removed. The adult deer tick has a reddish cast, whereas other (nondeer, non-Lyme carrying) ticks are more brown in color.

Preventive measures Wear light-colored clothing and tuck your pants into socks. Spray clothing with an insecticide containing Permethrin. Let it dry so that it bonds to the material. Wet, unbonded Permethrin is highly toxic to cats, but is not toxic to dogs Apply an insecticide with Deet to exposed skin. Avoid stone walls, where mice and chipmunks often live and overgrown areas. You can buy “Tick Tubes” made by a company called Damminix, available in Westport at Fieldworks. These are placed around the property and mice pull out Permethrin treated cotton balls and use them to make their nests.

However, there is a year lag time before you will see results.

NOT recommended: There is non-toxic Pyrethrin you can spray on areas likely to harbor ticks.

This accomplishes immediate killing of ticks on contact. However, it breaks down quickly and its effectiveness

diminishes rapidly, usually within a day or so. Permethrin is synthetic Pyrethrin, and although you gain a more lasting insecticide, you also gain toxicity to birds, aquatic life, and cats.

(Also, don’t you love the way that two similar, but also dissimilar substances have confusingly similar names.

I mean, really—how do you keep Pyrethrin and Permethrin straight?)

The truth is, if you visit or live in the greener, leafier, more rural areas of Rhode Island and Massachusetts and like to get out and enjoy nature, you have a pretty good chance of a tick landing on you that’s carrying Lyme Disease.

Be careful Finally, after you’ve been in the woods or anywhere where ticks are likely to live, throw your clothes into the washing machine then dryer and inspect yourself. Have another inspect those parts of your body you can’t see.

Ticks prefer to bury themselves into soft folds of the skin or where there is compression. The stomach, near the waistband, is a popular place for them to burrow into you.

And if you do find one dining at your expense? Do not apply a hot match, Vaseline, gasoline, or anything else you’ve heard of to make them supposedly back out. It doesn’t work. All it might do is encourage the tick to regurgitate your blood and its poison

into you. Instead, Have on hand a pointy (not angled) pair of tweezers.

You want to be able to grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible, without squeezing the body and pushing its poison into you.

After you’ve grasped the tick, pull it straight up and out, slowly steadily, in order to remove the head and mouth from your flesh. If part of the mouth happens to break off, don’t panic. The poison is in the body. Either way, dab the spot with alcohol and keep an eye on it. If part of the head has been left in, don’t be surprised if it takes a few weeks for the redness to go away.

Eventually, your body will push out the remains of the head or mouth.

Ticks that have been removed within 24 hours of attachment are unlikely to have passed on the disease.

Symptoms If you have contracted Lyme Disease, chances are you will develop the characteristic erythema migrans, a circular, reddish rash that has a bullseye appearance. This rash can appear on parts of the body other than where the bite occurred. However, about 30% do not develop this rash. Other early symptoms include headache, nausea, fever, aching joints and fatigue. Late stage symptoms, as mentioned earlier, are something you want to avoid, and can entail long-term antibiotic treatment, which can have serious sideeffects of its own.

If all of this sounds frightening, it should. The truth is, if you visit or live in the greener, leafier, more rural areas of Rhode Island and Massachusetts and like to get out and enjoy nature, you have a pretty good chance of a tick landing on you that’s carrying Lyme Disease.

April through October—inspect yourself for ticks. Get out the pointy tweezers. Deposit them in a jar of alcohol, which spells sure death for this scourge.

And remember: you can always get chickens. Chickens love to feed on ticks.

The South Coast Insider / April 2011

17

Natural tips for a green lawn

by Lynn Tondat Ruggeri

A beautiful lawn and garden without the use of toxic chemicals is most definitely a doable and worthwhile endeavor.

There are many simple effective tips for elimination of pests and weeds and for fertilizing your lawn more naturally.

Not into to your own manual weed removal or composting? No problem, as there are, more now than ever, safer commercial solutions available at lawn and garden centers. Here are tips and resources to help you find these safer solutions for your every lawn and garden concern.

Why bother?

In addition to deleterious effects on human health, pesticides and other lawn chemicals create a microorganism imbalance in the soil. This leads to unhealthy, unsupportive soil that requires more and more added chemicals to yield results. It’s basically soil on “steroids.” Grass, flowers and plants 18

April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

become literally dependent on those very same, expensive toxic chemicals.

In addition to negative effects on humans, most all of the EPA registered lawn and garden chemicals are toxic to earthworms, aquatic life, honey bees and pets. Another dirty little secret of the “chemical lawn” industry is that many of these chemicals are easily tracked indoors and can persist in carpets, home furnishings and household dust for months and even years!

The key to a healthy lawn is to know how to prepare your soil, how to mow, and how to water.

Preparing the soil Use a mechanical plug-aerator (or spike) to aerate the lawn in early spring. This helps the dormant grass to grow by increasing the oxygen and

nutrients in tightly packed soil.

Fertilize in early spring using organic fertilizer or compost. Organic means the source is an animal or plant, such as chicken/cow/horse manure, hydrolyzed feather meal, blood/bone meal, worm casings or seaweed.

You can purchase organic-based fertilizers from your local garden center. Some safer products are: Espoma Lawn Food, Cookadoodle DOO, ZOOM organics, First Nature, and Miracle Gro Organic Choice. Organic programs are available online such as extremelygreen.com.

Read the labels carefully, as some lawn company ads about “natural” and safety are misleading. If a commercial fertilizer (with weed/grub control) has an EPA Registration number on the label then it DOES contain pesticides/herbicides. Others labeled “natural” fertilizers may actually contain sewage sludge which is not a choice for non-toxic lawn care.

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Know your soil’s pH. Testing kits are available at garden centers. Depending on test results, treat the soil accordingly. For example, for soil that is too acidic add lime in the early spring.

How to mow The first cut can be short, which helps to stimulate the grass out of dormancy. But mow high for the season. Set the mower blade/deck to 3-4 inches and no lower. This step alone can help crowd out and eliminate unwanted weeds. After that first cut, leave the cuttings on the lawn as natural fertilizer saving time, money and landfill space.

Mow only with a sharpened blade.

Dull blades will shred and tear the grass leaving it vulnerable to both disease and pests.

At season’s end, thatch lawn, give one more round of fertilizer, and cut short for the winter.

spot the yellow flowers. After a season or two of removal they will decrease substantially and will require minimal attention. Careful disposal of the seed puffs is important to preventing new weeds.

For safe weed control in walk ways or stone driveways or in cracked asphalt or cement apply full-strength vinegar directly onto weeds. Even very hot water poured directly will kill them.

What about the weeds?

It’s been said that every weed tells a story. That’s because certain weeds indicate specific conditions or deficiencies of the soil. The type of weed problem is the key to your soil’s problem. For example too much clover is due to soil having too little nitrogen.

The fix is to select a natural fertilizer with a higher nitrogen content.

Treating an acidic lawn with lime will help control dandelions. Correcting these soil conditions and seeding with weed-resistant grass species will help prevent weeds.

To control annuals such as crabgrass and dandelion, in early spring use non-toxic, enzyme-based pre-emergents such as corn gluten (an example is St Gabriel’s Premerge Natural Weed Control) that will inhibit seeds from sprouting. For those that do grow, use hand removal. For dandelions use a dandelion puller to get the deep root so it does not regrow; do this as you

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Safer pest control Use milky spore powder (Fairfax Biological Laboratories) or nematodes (tiny worms that feed on grubs). Both are biologically harmless to people, pets and wildlife, yet effective in eliminating grubs. Milky spore powder is a low or minimal risk pest control product that does have an EPA registration number. The risk to people is from particle inhalation of powder; so proper care is needed during application.

How to water Water infrequently and deeply, and always in early morning. Shallow, late day or evening water can cause the most harm to grass by encouraging mold and disease and causing the root systems to be too shallow.

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Many of the tips above apply too for your flowers and vegetables. Safer commercial products to assist with garden care: Espoma, Cookadoodle DOO, ZOOM organics, Green Light, Jobe’s Organics, Preen Organics, Organicide, Garden Safe, Sta-Green, Dragonfly Organix (garden-guys. com), Miracle Gro Organic Choice, Safer Brand Soap, Neem.

Another option to control insects in the garden is to raise beneficial insects that eat detrimental bugs. For example, native ladybugs eat aphids, and praying mantises eat many pests in gardens and trees. Both are available online.

Who can help Finally, if you hire a professional for lawn and garden care, look for a company that uses Integrated Pest Management. IPM professionals are trained to use prevention and leasttoxic methods of pest control. Go to beyondpesticides.org and click on “Info Services” and then “Safety Source For Pest Management” to locate an IPM company near you. For more information on IPM visit www.epa.gov/ pesticides/factsheets/ipm.htm The South Coast Insider / April 2011

19

FOOD NOTES

The secret to affordable local vegetables all season long

THINK INSIDE THE BOX Text and photography

by Melissa Tavares The beginning of the calendar year may have been months ago, but it’s the Spring that truly marks the birth of the new year. In the kitchen, the Spring is a time for new fresh flavors from vegetables so tender and sweet that they require very little fuss, quite contrary to the braised stews and long simmered soups that we’ve relied upon all winter long. Our local SouthCoast farmers are now hard at work as they prepare this year’s harvest: tilling the land, enriching the soil, and sowing their seeds. Soon the farm stands will start opening, farmers markets will be bustling with young families, and our own backyard gardens will start to take shape. What a joyous time of the year!

One of my favorite ways to enjoy the local bounty all summer long is to join a CSA. A CSA, short for Community Supported Agriculture, is an arrange20

April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

ment where a family or individual pledges their support for a farm at the beginning of the growing season in return for a share of that farm’s harvest all season long. It’s at this time of year that farmers have to invest a lot of upfront cash for buying seeds, preparing equipment, and paying their employees, even though it may be many weeks before they can begin selling their crops. The members of the CSA pay a reduced rate now, and then receive a box of fresh produce every week throughout the growing season.

As a CSA “shareholder” in the farm, you stand to share in the rewards of the farmer’s bounty in the boom years, and help cushion the farmer’s financial burden in the down years. Regardless, your farmer works hard to give you a bountiful supply of fresh, local produce, at an incredible value.

I joined my first CSA three years ago, and while at the time CSAs where much harder to find in this area, today many farmers throughout the region are offering memberships. Choosing to buy your vegetables directly from a local farm means you’re not only supporting your neighbors, but also making a healthy decision for you and your family. A CSA is also a fun way to diversify your diet because you’ll likely find things in your weekly CSA box that you wouldn’t normally purchase at the supermarket. Whether it is leeks,

artichokes, or an unusual bitter green, your CSA box will force you to cook outside of your culinary comfort zone and explore new flavors.

If I’ve convinced you to hop on the CSA bandwagon, act fast, because Spring is the time of the year to sign up!

I’ve included a list of just some of the local farmers offering CSA membership this year, but I encourage you to contact your favorite farm to see if they too have a CSA program.

Wishing Stone Farm | (401) 635-4274 25 Shaw Road, Little Compton, RI wishingstonefarm.com Silverbrook Farm | (508) 991-5185 592 Chase Road, Dartmouth, MA silverbrookdartmouth.com Brix Bounty Farm | (508) 992-1868 858 Tucker Rd, Dartmouth, MA brixbounty.com Rosasharn Farm CSA | (401) 330-7153 57 County Street, Rehoboth, MA rosasharnfarm.com/csa.html Kettle Pond Farm | (508) 822-6919 181 Bay View Ave. Berkley, MA kettlepondfarm.com Agraria Farm | (508) 336-3823 17 Willard Avenue, Rehoboth, MA email: agrariafarm@gmail.com The Farmer’s Garden | (508)889-7632 140 Davis St. Rehoboth, Ma 02769 email: noons140@comcast.net Oakdale Farms | (508) 336-7681 61 Wheaton Avenue,Rehoboth, MA oakdalefarms.com Dufort Farms | (508) 252-6323 55 Reservoir Avenue, Rehoboth, MA dufortfarms.com

in season: ASPARAGUS Although you won’t begin receiving your CSA box until early June, April marks the beginning of the first major harvest of the year: asparagus. This is the only time of the year that I’ll eat asparagus because the taste of freshly picked local spears is unmatched. In fact, as soon as you cut an asparagus spear from the ground it begins a chemical reaction that causes it to loose sweetness and flavor with each passing day. If possible, I always try to cook asparagus the day it was harvested—easily accomplished if you buy your asparagus from a local farm, but improbable if bought from the supermarket. Many people may not realize that asparagus grows locally only for a few short weeks each spring. So, if you find fresh asparagus in the supermarket at any time of the year other than April or May, it’s undoubtedly from another part of the world, and likely weeks old.

Besides being delicious, asparagus is high in antioxidants, folic acid, potassium, and vitamin C. Asparagus is also known to fight heart disease, improve bone health, and even boost the libido. It’s also a rich source of folic acid, making it a great choice for pregnant women.

Melissa Tavares is a lifelong South Coast resident, blogger, and food enthusiast.

Melissa pens the food blog Ava Catau: You Are What You Eat, at avacatau.com.

Healthier Sesame Noodles with Spring Vegetables Makes 4 servings

1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and

n

cut into 1” pieces

2 cups fresh or frozen sugar snap peas 12 oz. brown rice fettuccine noodles* n 1 small clove garlic, chopped n 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped n 1/4 cup natural peanut butter n juice of 1 lime n 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil n 2 tablespoons soy sauce n 1 tablespoon honey n pinch of red pepper flakes (optional) n 3 carrots, peeled and shaved into long n n

strips using a vegetable peeler

1/4 cup sesame seeds 4 scallions, finely chopped n salt n n

*Found in the natural foods aisle of most supermarkets

Bring a large pot of water up to a boil.

Season thewater with salt and add the asparagus and sugar snap peas. Cook until just tender, about 3-5 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to colander and immediately rinse under cold water. Set aside.

Add the noodles to the water and cook for 13-15 minutes, until tender. Stir the noodles occasionally to prevent them from sticking to each other.

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Meanwhile, add the garlic, ginger, peanut butter, lime juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, pepper flakes and 1/4 cup water to a food processor or blender. Blend until very smooth (should resemble the consistency of heavy cream, add more water if necessary). Season with salt to taste.

Drain the noodles and return them to the empty pot. Add the asparagus, sugar snap peas, carrots, sesame seeds, scallions, and peanut sauce to the noodles. Toss and enjoy!

The South Coast Insider / April 2011

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Retirement the way you imagined it.

Give your

LIVER a spring cleaning

by Lynn Tondat Ruggeri

Think First.

Take control of your future with an Individual Retirement Account from First Citizens’ Federal Credit Union. At First Citizens’ we can help you achieve retirement the way you imagined it. For the peace of mind you deserve and a future that looks bright for you, Think First and choose an IRA from First Citizens’.

Stop by your local branch today, or visit www. firstcitizens.org

22

April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

We have had one tough, cold winter season. After being cooped up and less active for months it only makes sense that the coming of warmer weather marks the time to re-charge and re-energize. In fact Ayurvedic, Naturopathic, Herbal and Macrobiotic practitioners all advocate doing just that by focusing in the Spring on one organ: the liver.

The body’s supreme cleaning machine All body cells have enzyme systems to clean and remove waste, but it is the liver that has the motherload of specialized enzymes with detoxifying abilities. Liver cells also have

a number of metabolic pathways specifically designed to breakdown and remove substances and toxins from the blood. It is our liver that is busy 24/7 cleaning our blood of impurities and metabolic-by-products, so it too needs maintenance.

Thus cleansing the liver is akin to changing the bag of your vacuum cleaner or the filter for your water purifier.

Simply put, it will allow the liver to be more effective at doing its job of detoxifying the body. The payback, according to Dr. Sandra Cabot, MD author of The Liver Cleanse Diet, is that proper liver cleansing and maintenance can help one to live longer and healthier.

of vitamins and supplements to assist in choosing the right ones for you.

Examples of herbs, vitamins and supplements that have been shown to help stimulate and support liver functioning are: milk thistle, dandelion root, burdock root, red clover, grape seed extract, Vit C, B vitamins (including folic acid and choline), CoQ10, selenium, glutathione, and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). Do your own online research. Then work with a health care provider to determine which ones are best to try for your own health issues. Your health consultant will likely also advise a colon cleanse and toning herbs for the gallbladder to make sure those systems are working properly to support the ultimate liver cleanse.

How do we cleanse the liver?

A number of techniques that practitioners suggest to cleanse the liver include dietary changes, increasing water intake, the use of herbs and liver support supplements, as well as light exercise to get the lymphatic system moving and to improve overall blood circulation.

Some of these are aimed at either giving the liver a break or in the case of herbs and supplements actually stimulating the liver to step up its cleansing potential at the cellular level.

Most liver cleanse diets include light fasting and avoiding a list of foods and drinks that are on that typical culprit or “shouldn’t consume too much” list.

These include processed foods, sugary/white flour foods, fried foods, alcohol, red meat, sugared/dairy laden caffeine drinks, artificial sweeteners and food additives. Liver cleanse diets instead recommend increasing living green foods, salads, vegetables and fruit and vegetable juices, legumes (but not soybeans) and plenty of clean filtered water especially during a light fast. Some suggest even removing gluten and dairy products (substituting calcium and Vitamin D fortified rice or almond milk for example) for a short time to give the body a break from those protein sources.

Certainly consuming more organic foods will give the liver a rest from having to contend with extra chemicals from pesticides in those foods. Keep in mind that any chemical that gets into the body (from oral consumption, skin absorption or by breathing) and that enters the blood, will eventually be confronted by the liver. Reducing your exposure to chemicals will help the liver do its normal detoxification and metabolism without an added chemical burden.

Always consult your health care provider when changing your diet, exercise routine or when adding herbs, vitamins and supplements. The latter may necessitate consulting a healthcare professional (such as a certified herbalist or naturopathic physician ) who is knowledgeable in the use

What to expect?

During the cleansing process and before one feels renewed and re-energized it is not unusual to temporarily experience some “detox symptoms.” These may include headache, lack of appetite, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, diarrhea and others. Don’t get discouraged though, as these symptoms typically subside within a few days.

On the other hand you may begin to feel energized and renewed shortly after starting the cleanse. It depends on one’s own system and how much detoxing must be done. After the cleanse, you may feel so much better that it could even motivate you to reduce consumption some of those culprit foods on a more permanent basis. Again as with any new dietary regime, seek the guidance of a trained certified professional to assist you during the cleanse process and for a follow-up maintenance regime that is best for you.

You may begin to feel energized and renewed shortly after starting the cleanse.

A final thought to ponder In traditional Chinese Medicine, it is thought that protracted anger and bitterness are negative emotions which block the free flow of one’s “life force energy “ or “chi” throughout the body. In other words, these negative emotions cause the life force energy to get stuck. And in which body organ is the blockage thought to be? The liver! Accordingly in this tradition, these specific negative emotions would prevent the liver from doing its job of detoxifying and cleansing.

This could then result in illnesses due to ineffective liver functioning. So it makes a certain amount of sense when considering detoxifying the physical body to also shed some negative emotional baggage.

There are certainly any number of powerful techniques to help one confront and cope with the negative emotions of anger, bitterness and resentment. So you might want to consider the healing power of counseling, resolution mediation, meditation, forgiveness prayers, or even Qigong and Tai Chi in your quest to optimize liver health.

The South Coast Insider / April 2011

23

COVER STORY

A stitch in time…

Cost-effective home improvements

by Elizabeth Morse Read

How’d you like to make no/lowcost home improvements that will lower your monthly utility bills, improve the value of your home and be kind to the environment?

Y

ou don’t have to sell your soul to the hardware store or some fly-by-night handyman to do that—just follow these simple instructions and commonsense advice. If you take proactive steps to reduce your energy/utility consumption, you’ll forestall expensive repair/replacement costs in the future.

If you were buying a car, you’d automatically compare fuel efficiency, features and costs before you made your choice, right? Well, you need to be equally vigilant about your home appliances, large and small—always let the yellow EnergyStar Guide stickers inform your decision. Older models lose their energy efficiency as they age—and they rack up extra utility costs as a result. For instance…

The big chill Your refrigerator/freezer can be a major energy-hog if not properly maintained. Buying a knock-off brand on sale with 24

April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

a poor EnergyStar Guide rating will translate into higher monthly electricity bills. Get the most out of your older model by keeping the freezer at least half-full, rubbing Vaseline on the rubber gaskets so they don’t dry out, crack and let the cold air escape.

Chest freezers (top loading) are about 20% more energyefficient than upright (front-loading) freezers; and while automatic defrosting models cost more up front than manualdefrost models, you only garner the energy cost savings if you keep it defrosted regularly.

Whatever type you choose to buy, remember that clear labeling of everything you put in the freezer is very important—leaving the freezer door open while you scrape away the frost on some chunk of mystery meat is not energysmart.

Now you’re cooking!

It’s a no-brainer that gas stoves are more economical to operate than electric stoves, especially if they have electronic ignition (vs. a pilot light), but gas may not be an option where you live.

Almost 60% of American homes and apartments have electric stoves, so get the most bang for your buck if you have an electric stove. Just as freezers need to be defrosted, ovens need to be cleaned, so wipe up all spills as soon as it’s cool enough to do so, instead of turning on the “clean” function. And if you do have to turn on the clean function, do so after you’ve cooked something, so that the internal temperature is already high.

Ovens need clear circulation, so don’t line racks with aluminum foil. When baking, use glass/ceramic pans rather than metal—you can lower the temperature by 25 degrees to get the same results. And for cooking or reheating small amounts, it’s more energy-efficient to use your microwave or toaster oven.

The range-top usually has four heating elements of varying sizes (and always keep them wiped clean). Always use the element that’s the same size as the pot or pan you’ll be using—your burner will waste 40% of the heat if you put a six-inch pan on an 8-inch element! And don’t use warpedbottom aluminum pots and pans—uneven bottoms let heat escape. (I cherish my copper-bottom Revere pots—I’ve had them for years and will pass them on to my daughter when she starts a home.)

Is there a vampire in your house?

Imagine that your home or apartment is inhabited by a negative force that sucks and siphons off your heat and electricity, causing you needless expense. You don’t need to call Ghostbusters.

Let’s start with heat—it rises willy-nilly and escapes if your dwelling is a heat-sieve. Make sure that, at the least, your attic is properly insulated and sealed up, because that’s where your heat will sneak into (and leak out of) if you don’t keep that attic door/trap closed.

Likewise, drafty windows and exterior doors should be Continued on next page

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25

Continued from previous page

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April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

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weatherized or replaced (there are many rebates and tax-deductions if you do so), and woodwork around them should be caulked to prevent heat loss.

An open, unused fireplace literally vacuums the winter heat out of your house and boosts your summer AC costs—keep it sealed shut (glass doors, fireproof barriers) when not in use, and make sure that the flue is set properly —invest in annual chimney cleaning for safety and efficiency.

In the cellar and garage (usually unheated spaces) and crawl-spaces, heated pipes, ductwork and the water boiler can be insulated—which not only makes them more heat/energyefficient but can also prevent disaster if they freeze in the winter.

Oftentimes, you can achieve greater energy-efficiency and cost savings without spending a dime on home repair supplies—especially if you can reduce your monthly electric bills just by being vigilant. When an old incandescent light bulb burns out, replace it with a new CFL or LED bulb. Yes, they cost more at purchase, but they last for years and use less electricity.

The easiest first step—and you may have to do some nagging—is just to get everyone to turn off the lights, etc. when they leave a room.

Why pay to illuminate an empty room? If need be, you can install motion-sensitive devices or timers, but it costs nothing to just get in the habit of flicking a switch on the way out. And maximize the energy-efficiency of any appliance that has a filter (clothes dryer, AC units, heat blowers) by cleaning the filters regularly.

And then there’s the vampire reality. Many appliances and electronic devices continue to draw power even after you’ve turned them off! (this is called “phantom/vampire” load). Look around your house— everything that has a digital clock on it or sensor lights, even when you turn it off, is drawing power. Many, of course, should never be disconnected completely—alarm systems, doorbells, thermostats or your automatic coffee-

maker, answering machines.

But the big offenders are TVs, VCR/ DVD players, chargers (for phones/batteries and such), computer monitors and, especially, video-game consoles.

Even when you turn them “off,” they go into “sleep mode/stand-by mode” in order to keep all those programmable features ready for when you turn them “on.” You don’t have to run around unplugging all these devices—just plug them into a power strip/surge bar with a master switch you can use with just one stroke.

Another major conservation effort you and your family can make is to be more mindful of hot-water usage. Install a low-flow shower head in the bathroom. Wash only full loads of clothes—in cold water. Scrape (vs. rinse) dirty dishes, and only run the dishwasher when it’s full (and let them air-dry to save electricity). And, the most basic, turn the water off when you shave or brush your teeth!

Start saving now!

You can get help in being a more cost-wise consumer by taking advantage of the many services available —and possibly qualify for rebates, tax credits and even 0% loans! Get a home energy assessment/audit (usually free) by contacting your utility company to find out if you qualify, Call MassSave at 1-800-632-8300 (for a single-family dwelling) or at 1-866-757-2059 (for a multi-family dwelling)—have your utility bills handy when you call, and don’t be surprised if you have to wait for a few months for a visit appointment.

And for more energy-saving tips, go to www.energysavers.gov, TopTenUSA.org (for energy-guide ratings for new appliances) or dsirusa.org and naseo.org/members/states (to learn more about rebates and tax credits).

And once you’ve had the assessment done, you may qualify for a 0% Heat Loan through participating banks and credit unions. It pays to save energy and lower your bills—give it a try.

Heating oil prices are predicted to rise 10% this year. By making some of the above changes, you stand to save 20% of your annual utility bills.

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April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

Fairhaven’s hidden treasure

by Dick Clark

T

he Church of the Good Shepherd in Fairhaven, Massachusetts is a small stucco building sitting lightly on a hill overlooking the Acushnet River, barely visible as one approaches the town traveling east on Interstate 195 through New Bedford. Its size might lead one to think of it as a wayside chapel, yet inside this small building can be found a man of truly gigantic proportions with a shoulder span of eight feet. He is the “Good Shepherd” of Fairhaven, a creation of lime, sand, water and pigments of various colors.

This Good Shepherd endlessly leads his flock, bearing a lamb in one arm and holding a staff in the other. He is the creation of Robert W. Bruce, a former clergyman, entrepreneur, newspaper publisher and artist. A business opportunity had led Bruce to relocate in Rangeley, Maine in the late 50s. He and his family began attending the local parish, the Church of the Good Shepherd. Intrigued by the imagery of the Good Shepherd, Bruce did some research and found that portrayals of the theme were somewhat rare, except for a marble statue found in the

little mausoleum of Galla Placidia and dated at about 300 A.D., and the more recent treatments that show a very placid and sentimentalized version of Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

Memories of lambs Bruce’s studies stirred up memories of his youth when he worked alongside his father, caring for as many as 1,200 feeder lambs on their farm near Topeka, Kansas. He assumed that when Jesus spoke of a shepherd, his hearers would naturally have envisioned a rugged man who slept out in the open, living off the meager provisions nature provided. The contrast between such a man and the rather genteel shepherd shown in most paintings spurred Bruce to paint his own version of the Good Shepherd.

Bruce’s first attempt was in the form of a triptych altar piece for the Rangeley Church, done in egg tempera. The result was not entirely satisfactory. There were some admirers, but more found it not to their liking, even a little grotesque. What some might consider “grotesque” was always part of Bruce’s vision. For him,

godliness and physical beauty were not necessarily synonymous.

In actuality, Bruce was not really satisfied with his tempera version. Many years before, at the beginning of his art education, he had become fascinated with artists who used vast areas on which to express their ideas and interpretations. Naturally, Michelangelo was foremost in his mind. It became obvious: fresco would be the medium of choice for his Good Shepherd. As he explained: “Fresco was for centuries the standard way of painting on walls, and it was always spoken of as the supreme art. Fresco has a peculiar quality of color and luminosity which no other medium has.”

A free fresco The vision of his painting began to form more vividly in his mind.

The challenge would be to find his “canvas,” a wall large enough for his larger-than-life Shepherd. Churches seemed to be the logical choice so, in February of 1971, Robert Bruce wrote to ten different Churches of the Good Shepherd in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, offering his fresco, at no cost, and asking only for a cot in the church basement for accommodation. The one affirmative response came from the Fairhaven parish. Bruce met with the Vestry which was quite impressed by his sketches. A meeting with the congregation brought further encouragement.

Work on the fresco began in October of 1971. First, a small window was sealed and boarded up, then the entire back wall was covered with polyethylene film.

Firring was nailed in place to hold the metal lath. The most spectacular step was slaking the lime in a long bin in the boiler room. When the water mixed with the powdered lime, the temperature in the bin rose to 600˚F. Great clouds of steam poured from the rear door of the basement, causing one person to fear that the church was on fire.

The lime preparation was then mixed in careful equation with sand and applied to the metal lath, creating a rough base coat. After it had cured, a second, finer coat was applied in December. A full-scale, perforated sketch on a huge

sheet of paper obtained from a local mattress company was hung in place two weeks before Christmas. Using a cloth bag containing powdered charcoal, Bruce worked his way over the entire sketch. Removing the paper, he painted over the charcoal outline with tinted egg tempera to bring the sketch into bold outline.

The fresco was truly a “work in progress” for Robert Bruce had to balance his time and business affairs with his artistic vision, and this meant many round-trips between Fairhaven and Rangeley, Maine, weather permitting.

While in Fairhaven, Bruce became fascinated with the Portuguese cuisine and culture of greater New Bedford.

The actual painting began in January 1972. Once the face was completed, the parishioners knew they had chosen wisely and were pleased to be part of such a creative undertaking. The face expressed strength along with loneliness, emotional suffering, but softened by the suggestion of inner tenderness and compassion.

While Robert Bruce worked he had many visitors of all ages and of various religious perspectives, interested in a work that has a truly ecumenical appeal. The painting was completed in the last week of February. An official dedication followed on Good Shepherd Sunday in April of 1972. An old Scottish hymn was part of the service in honor of Robert Winzer Bruce’s Scottish ancestry.

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A hidden treasure Robert W. Bruce’s fresco of the Good Shepherd is one of Fairhaven’s hidden treasures, somewhat off the beaten path of tourists and residents alike. It awaits rediscovery, and all it takes is a little effort.

The Church of the Good Shepherd is located at 359 North Main Street.

There is a 10 o’clock service on Sunday morning with viewing following. The Church’s Oxford Book Haven & Café is open on Thursdays from 10 to 2 p.m. The fresco can be viewed during these hours as well with the bonus of a hearty lunch and a good book at a bargain price.

The South Coast Insider / April 2011

29

Nebbiolo

by Alton Long

The great grape of northern Italy When a discussion of so-called wine experts turned into an argument about which were the great wine grapes of the world, they at least agreed how well U.S. had adapted the wines of France to their regions.

Cabernet Sauvignon has done very well in the U.S., especially in Napa Valley. Pinot Noir, in the U.S. has recently come close to the greatness of the legendary Red Burgundies of France. But they also agreed that Sangiovese, the key grape of Chianti, had not fared so well, nor did Nebbiolo, the grape used in the Piedmont of Northern Italy. In addition, some argued that a good Italian Nebbiolo might be better than a great California Cabernet Sauvignon.

Eventually, a group did a blind tasting of various wines, each made from a different grape, with two from Italy, one from France, one from Spain and two from the U.S. The results were a bit shocking. The two top wines, almost tied, were both from the U.S. 30

April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

The number one, by a “nose,” was Ridge Zinfandel, 2008 from Geyserville, California, with the number two being Freemark Abbey-Bosch Vineyard 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Then to everyones’ surprise, a Spanish Tempranillo, produced by Artadi-Vina de Gain, came in with a high third. The Nebbiolo, a 2001 vintage produced by Baroli from Barolo Italy scored a very close fourth.

The misunderstood Nebbiolo Nebbiolo wines are considered “undrinkable” until 5 to 10 years after harvest. Some of the group of tasters admitted that they liked the Nebbiolo, but were “not used to” its rather unique, albeit delicious, flavor. Like

most intense flavored great red wines, it does have its own distinctive flavor and is not a ‘common’ wine in most wine consumers’ experience.

The name, Nebbiolo, come from the Italian word “nebbia” which means “fog.” It seems that many of the vineyards are on the sloops of the Piedmont region in the northeastern part of Italy where they have frequent foggy mornings, especially in the harvest time. The resulting wines are produced and labeled under the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) names of Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara and Ghemme, depending on the location.

The Nebbiolo wines of Italy are well appreciated so the good ones come at a hefty price, $50 to $100 or more.

Yet, there are a few bargains that can be found locally. One, Vietti Nebbiolo “Perbacco” runs about $30. The 2007 vintage, which was considered as excellent for the Piedmont, produced a very fruity and spicy wine that is medium bodied with soft tannins and

© Knud Nielsen | Dreamstime.com

WINE NOTES

a very long aftertaste; Guido Poro 2005 has a sweet plum and berry bouquet and flavor. It is also blessed with a silky body and great balance. It is considered an excellent value at $42. It seems that Nebbiolo wines tend to run a little higher in price than other varieties.

Confusing nomenclature You will discover confusion in the many names for Nebbiolo wines. One of the top “moderate” priced Nebbiolo is called Barbaresco Riserva Moccagatta and is 100 percent Nebbiolo. This is a premium wine running about $60. The 2005 vintage has excellent fruit with berries and very ripe plums.

There are obvious tannins, so this wine should be cellared for several years. The vintners recommend 20 to 25 years!

Locally, one shop is offering Poggio Le Costa Barolo, which is 100 percent Nebbiolo for just $35. Though it is generally only medium-bodied, this wine is said to possess a complex rose and anise aroma and deep flavors of cherry, orange peel and herbal character making it very sought after. These Nebbiolo wines tend to go well with light meats, especially like a veal dish. One writer noted that it went well with a wild mushroom and three-cheese lasagna.

Four from America The Nebbiolo grape is not common in the U.S vineyards but there are several vineyards growing it now. The folks of Viansa say it is right at home in their Sonoma Mountain Vineyard where it receives ample morning sun and afternoon shade. You would expect Viansa to be a producer of Nebbiolo as they specialize in all things that are “good Italian.” Viansa was founded in 1989 by Sam and Vicki Sebastiani. A visit to their winery is a “celebration” of Italian foods, cheese, culinary and wine-related items as well as their terrific Italian style wines.

Their Viansa 2005 “La Nebbia” offers aromas of fresh earth, cranberry and white flowers with flavors of pomegranate, Bing cherry and brown spice.

It is a blend of 96% Nebbiolo and 4% Primitivo. They claim it is the perfect

wine for dishes featuring the earthy flavors of mushrooms and truffles and is a natural partner for red pasta sauce dishes, hearty soups and stews, especially those featuring the earthy flavors of dried mushrooms.

Another California producer of Nebbiolo is Martin & Weyrich. They believe they may be one of the first U.S. wineries to produce a wine from this grape. Their wine is labeled Nebbiolo Il Vecchio Reserve Paso Robles 2004.

Mary Ewing-Mulligan, a professional wine writer and wine expert, tasted and evaluated the 2003 vintage of this wine and rated it a 90! She added, “Martin & Weyrich is producing Nebbiolo that are better than any I have tasted outside of Italy.” At the time it was priced at about $18 but now you will be lucky to find it under $20.

Martin & Weyrich makes two Nebbiolo based wines, a basic Paso Robles Nebbiolo (about $18), and the Reserve Nebbiolo called ‘Il Vecchio’ (‘the old one’) due to the longer aging this wine goes through. Both wines have typical varietal character not always found in Nebbiolo outside of Italy.

They are well priced, and are a pleasure for Nebbiolo fans.

Bargetto Winery’s Regan Estate Vineyards is nestled in the southern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains at a 500 foot elevation and has one acre of Nebbiolo planted. To achieve intensity in flavor and color, they thin 75% of the fruit leaving only 25% remaining. Nebbiolo is slow to ripen and has a naturally high acidity. Most of the wine made from that grape is blended along with Dolcetto and Refosco into a wine they call “La Vita”.

This wine is released each year with a different ‘art” label. Labels in the past have been based on a variety of art style ranging from Egyptian to modern.

It may be difficult for you will find some of these wines, and for that matter, any good wine made with Nebbiolo, in your local shop. But it does entice one to think about going out to the west coast to search for the “great Nebbiolo.”

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April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

BUSINESS BEAT

Getting a job is hard work

by Jay Pateakos

Businesses are hiring, but why are you still unemployed?

D

espite high unemployment numbers across the region and state, companies are still hiring in the South Coast area but none of them are giving these jobs away.

Now, more than ever, these jobs have to be earned and even with the scarcity of positions and the increasing numbers of jobless people, job hunters are still making many vital mistakes in their quest for employment.

The Fall River Career Center is one of many hubs of job recruitment and training in the region, with Career Center Director Joseph Viana heading up two other Career Centers in Taunton and Attleboro as well. Viana said a number of companies are looking for employees these days including Stop & Shop Warehouse positions; distribution and warehouse positions for Anderson Windows; customer service for Starwood as well as OnProcess Technology; machinists and welders for Aerostar; specialized technicians for TPI; implementation agents and customer service personnel for Meditech that will be opening a new division in Freetown and many others.

But because the jobs are not as plentiful as they once were, businesses are much more selective in the people they interview and hire, scouring over a person’s cover letter and resume, references, facebook pages and other personal information. And the mistakes job hunters make along the way continue to be staggering.

Do the research Viana said job seekers need to make sure before applying for a job and especially before the interview, that they research the company, what its priorities are, what its philosophy is.

When it comes to your resume, Viana said be sure you make crystal clear the skills you can bring to the job, skill that match the job (don’t assume this happens all the time because it doesn’t).

Be professional One recent complaint from a hiring company was that potential employees sent in a resume with a cover letter written for another job with another company. Another mistake occurred when an interviewee decided to send a thank you text message to a company for a job interview. The problem?

They used the text lingo “Thank U”.

(And no, this person didn’t get the job).

“Companies say they can’t risk hiring a customer service person that does that,” Viana noted. “They have to be professional.”

Pay attention Viana said one recent firm looking for customer service employees had a unique way to secure some writing and oral samples of perspective workers. The interviewees were invited into a room with other people and asked to wait, and that they would be called on shortly. Within 10 minutes the person

was called into another room.

“They asked the person what they observed in the 10 minutes they were out there. Could you also put it on a word document?” said Viana. “It was a customer service job that required computer skills so in that short timeframe, the company got an oral, written and computer assessment of the person.”

But how many of those people actually observed anything in that room?

Likely not many, and when they were called on to talk about what they observed, they were stuck. The company would learn that right away. And that’s what it is with the jobs today. You have to be on your toes from the initial email, to the final thank you after being hired.

Appearance does matter Fall River Career Center job specialist Anne Borges said companies are eliminating people for many reasons these days, from excessive tattoos and jewelry to an overwhelming smell of smoke on the person to under-dressing. One recent RN position interviewee had superior credentials for the job but showed up for the interview in flip-flops. (No, this person didn’t get the job either).

Borges said concerns have arisen lately from companies about prospective employee cell phone messages and email addresses that don’t exude professionalism. She said some jobseekers have had loud music on their voicemails, children recording their voicemail messages and other things that may not stand out to to someone calling to arrange an interview.

“People think it’s cute,” said Borges, but employers get easily turned off.

It’s all in the details Brenda Francis, director of the New Bedford and Wareham Career Centers, said people are so used to an informal society (pajama pants anyone?) that job seekers sometimes bring these informal habits into an interview. Francis said sometimes even simple instructions like faxing a resume with a cover sheet-things asked for in a certain way

for a reason-are not even being followed. And that was the simple part.

“These people are eliminated right away because they can’t follow the first instructions,” said Francis.

She noted the New Bedford and Wareham region is seeing small increases in companies looking for employees, including Precix, located in the New Bedford Business Park, which is looking to ramp up production with about a dozen new workers.

Francis said that many companies are still looking at the temporary staffing companies in order to save money over bringing on a new full time employee. Francis said some construction and manufacturing jobs are coming back to the area as well as a few in the “green” field.

With small indications that some jobs are coming back to the South Coast, it’s clear work still needs to be done by people to better prepare themselves for applying, securing an interview, and interviewing well enough to land the job.

“There’s a lot of people in transition.

We’re seeing a lot of people in their 40s and 50s that were on a certain career path that are now having difficulties with computer literacy,” said Francis.

“They have to understand that even a warehouse job requires computer skills now, that it’s important to be informed about computers, yet there’s a resistance to get on board. For many companies, applications are on-line only.”

Whether it’s under-dressing for an interview, texting a “thank U”, having an inappropriate cell phone message, or not knowing your way around a computer, or a number of other “little things,” lack of thought and preparation can result in not getting the job when you need it most.

The key to succeeding is learning from those mistakes and not making them again. Chances are the person that beat you out for the job had a few wrinkles along the way as well, but learned from them enough to present a professional image that a company found good enough. Every job is there for the taking.

The South Coast Insider / April 2011

33

REGIONAL NEWS

Bike paths line both sides of Main Street in Swansea.

A simple pleasure

by Adam Recchia Principal Transportation Planner, SRPEDD

As children it is our first taste of freedom. Finally, we can get to friends’ houses or the playground on our own, thanks to that bicycle. As adults, bicycling serves as a great way to keep in shape and see beautiful areas from a different perspective.

What many adults are now realizing, however, is that bicycling can also be a viable way of commuting, just as it was when we were children and had no other means.

Interest in bicycling in our region is soaring to new heights. Back in November, 65 bicyclists showed up to ride from Fall River to New Bedford on a group ride sponsored by Mass in Motion to raise awareness for bicycling. Mass in Motion is working hard as a group to fight obesity and chronic disease by promoting exercise and 34

April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

“healthy transportation,” i.e. bicycling and walking.

A regional path In February, SRPEDD, Mass in Motion, the Southeastern Massachusetts Council on Sustainability and UMass Dartmouth sponsored a Regional Bikeway Summit at the ATMC in Fall River. The purpose was to present SRPEDD’s plan for a “South Coast Pathway” from Rhode Island to Cape Cod as well as point out the economic, health and

transportation benefits of multi-use paths.

The Summit was an enormous success and was well attended by various public officials, engineers, planners, bicycling advocates and the general public. (That’s better attendance than I have ever witnessed at any other transportation meeting in my six years as a planner). Well over 100 people came together with a single goal: support of the South Coast Pathway.

The South Coast Pathway will be a true gateway to the South Coast and allow for safe bicycling (and walking) from the beautiful trails in Rhode Island to those on Cape Cod. Along the way it will pass through two historic cities (Fall River and New Bedford), cross two major rivers (the Taunton and the Acushnet), traverse

a barrier beach in Mattapoisett, connect six UMass Dartmouth campuses and most importantly, serve as a viable commuting option and recreational venture for South Coast residents and tourists.

JOE MURPHY

From Swansea The Pathway would be a combination of on and off-road segments and include several existing paths. It would start in Swansea on Old Warren Road and follow an existing set of onroad bike lanes and multi-use path along Maple Ave, Swansea Mall Drive, Milford Road, Hortonville Road, Main Street and Elm Street.

Through Somerset it would travel along Read Street and Brayton Avenue and connect with the new Veteran’s Memorial Bridge multi-use path currently under construction.

In Fall River it would parallel Route 79 to the downtown and then follow the Quequechan River through Britland Park and out to Brayton Avenue to

meet with the existing Fall River Bike Path.

Traversing Westport and Dartmouth it would parallel the Dartmouth Industrial railroad line and include a spur to UMass Dartmouth along a utility easement.

To New Bedford Through New Bedford it would follow the rail to Coggeshall Street and then the JFK Highway to the Route 6 Bridge, where it would enter Fairhaven and use Main Street to connect to the Phoenix Trail and the Mattapoisett Rail-Trail.

Across Mattapoisett, Marion and Wareham the pathway would follow the same abandoned railroad corridor that the Phoenix Trail was constructed on, with minor diversions onto Point Road and County Road in Marion.

And beyond Through Wareham Center and out to the Cape, the pathway would use Main Street, Merchants Way, Minot Road

and either the active rail line or Onset Avenue. Finally, the Bill Dalton Bridge (construction starting soon) would carry the pathway into Bourne.

The South Coast Pathway is gathering steam and everyone is talking about it. One question remains, though, and that is of course “How will it get funded?”

There are several federal transportation programs that will fund multi-use paths, though they are up against some stiff competition with our crumbling bridges and highways. Congress is supposed to tackle a new transportation bill this year, so hopefully funding for bicycle and pedestrian facilities will be a major component.

It really is a no-brainer at this point, as gas is not getting cheaper and Americans’ waistlines are not getting any smaller. So get on your bicycle and more importantly, get on your congressmen and tell them that bicycle and pedestrian funding should be a top priority!

The South Coast Insider / April 2011

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CLASSICAL SOUTH COAST

Hearing Mr. Plano play

by David M. Prentiss

What do Italy and the South Coast have in common? Roberto Plano.

Italian pianist Roberto Plano is a world-traveler. Since winning First Prize at the prestigious Cleveland International Piano Competition in 2001 and being a finalist in the Van Cliburn Piano Competition in 2005, he has had a non-stop career performing in concert halls from New York to Tokyo to Paris. And that brings us to the South Coast.

In September of 2009, Roberto appeared with the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, bringing the audience to their feet with a stirring performance of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. (He also performed live on WGBH during his visit.)

This past month, the NBSO invited him to return to the South Coast to visit local schools, teach a master class, and give a series of recitals. Through the collaborative efforts of the NBSO, Friends Academy, Nativity Preparatory 36

April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

School of New Bedford, and the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, Roberto gave the South Coast a week to remember.

Take a bow At Nativity Prep, Roberto was greeted by eighth grade student Austin Orrico, who performed an original composition for him on piano. After giving Austin a quick lesson on performance protocol (always take a bow after you perform), Roberto played two pieces

by Franz Liszt. He then asked if the students had any questions and the first one was, “how do you say ‘you’re awesome’ in Italian?”

When a student asked what was the first song he learned to play as a child, Roberto answered by playing Mozart’s variations on (what we call) “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” The students couldn’t resist and joined in

singing. The questions kept coming and then Roberto wrapped things up with “A Musical Joke on Mozart,” a jazzy re-interpretation of Mozart’s Turkish March.

The only question students had at that point was when he would come back to visit them again. In the meantime, Austin knows what he is going to be doing: “Hearing Mr. Plano play made me want to play more so maybe I can be at his level someday. I’m really glad he came to our school.”

At UMass-Dartmouth, Roberto taught a master class with two UMD students and one Tabor Academy student participating. Each student performed a piece for Roberto and received instruction on technique and interpretation, with about 30 other students looking on.

Topics of discussion included, “how do you make a piano sing?” and how to practice keeping your shoulders loose by dropping your hands (with a thud) onto the piano keys. One student played a passage from a Debussy

Arabesque and asked if he had played it right. Roberto’s response was, “it’s Debussy, so it wasn’t wrong.”

Friends Academy established a keyboard program this past year. In grades 4-8, 150 students are studying piano with Friends music teacher Jacqueline Maillet. When they started in September they didn’t realize that in just a few short months they would be performing for (and with) an internationallyacclaimed pianist.

To welcome Roberto, twelve Friends students played a minuet by J.S. Bach in unison. Roberto returned the favor by playing two pieces for the students and then he played a duet with Friends seventh grade student Thomas Chou.

As Thomas played Pachelbel’s Canon in D, Roberto improvised a new melodic line for the piece.

The duo was given a rousing round of applause by the audience of students, parents and teachers. Roberto took questions from the students about how he stays motivated, why he chose playing piano as a career, and what he did besides playing music. Roberto revealed that he was a passionate soccer fan (and player) and then exchanged opinions about his favorite team with one of the students, who was obviously a big soccer fan, too.

A lesson learned “Since Mr. Plano’s visit, my students have been more enthusiastic than ever about piano class,” stated Ms. Maillet, “they were amazed at his command of the instrument and a number of them said his playing was so exciting it was like rock ‘n roll. They were also a bit surprised that a concert pianist of his stature was such a friendly, regular person.”

Roberto Plano made an impression on the South Coast and the South Coast made an impression on him.

Asked about his visit, he stated, “I love your students. Music is fun to them and I can see it is an important part of their lives. It was a wonderful week to be with them.”

NBSO guest artists Catherine Manoukian (violin) and Martina Filjak (piano) will be visiting more South Coast schools in April and May.

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www.cravingscafeandcakery.com The South Coast Insider / April 2011

37

THINGS TO DO

Missing Critters on the Second Credit USS Massachusetts for Life Fair The famous World War II fighting The entire junior class of B.M.C. Durfee High School will participate in the second annual Fall River Credit for Life Fair on April 7.

Students will visit booths staffed by members of the community in the school’s gym. The three-hour event will provide students with a highly interactive financial literacy experience as they are placed in the position of 25-year-old adults making their own purchases and daily living choices, facing the challenge of balancing their budgets while making sound decisions regarding daily expenses, including housing, food, insurance, transportation and saving for retirement. The event is made possible by numerous volunteers from the community, as well as the following corporate sponsors: Citizens~Union Savings Bank, Bristol County Savings Bank, Bank Five, Saint Anne’s Credit Union, and Mechanics Cooperative Bank.

Monica Spach Curhan, First Vice President and Marketing Director of Citizens~Union Savings Bank, provides a little credit counseling to a Durfee student at last year’s Credit for Life Fair.

38

April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

ship is staging a fun “Hunt the Rat” scavenger hunt during school vacation week—Saturday, April 16 through Sunday, April 24.

It seems the little critters have found hiding places in the ship’s galley, the mail room, the captain’s office and many other nooks and crannies on the 2nd deck. Each child who finds all of the mischievous rats will be eligible for a prize drawing to be held on the closing day. Prizes include a free overnight for four persons on the Battleship, two birthday parties on the Battleship, and several savings bonds.

In addition, on each of the nine days, some lucky child will win a $25 gift certificate from the ship’s Gift Shop.

For this special event, children ages 6-12 are half-price; children under 6 are always free.

“This promises to be great fun for the

whole family,” says Executive Director Brad King. “We developed this interactive experience for youngsters to enjoy during their spring break from school.

Equally important, we have created the opportunity to gain perspective on life aboard a naval vessel.

Visit www.battleshipcove.org for more information or call 508-678-1100 or 800-533-3194.

Outer Cape birding and whale watching tour Join Jamie Bogart, Lloyd Center Research Associate, on an expedition to witness birds swirling over the ocean and fluttering through the forest. Stops will include Pilgrim Heights, a great hawk watching location; Beech Forest, a great spot for songbird viewing; and Herring Cove Beach.

After lunch in Provincetown near the pier you’ll board the ‘Dolphin Fleet’ vessel for the whale watching tour to Stellwagon Bank National Marine Sanctuary, where the whales will be visible at close range—an opportunity to view amazing marine mammals active in their native habitat.

Experts aboard the vessel will provide commentary about whale biology, issues and conservation, and the surrounding marine ecosystem.

The tour will be on Sunday, April 17, 7am-7pm (poor weather date: April 23).

The cost is $55 for Lloyd Center

members, $63 for non-members (includes van transportation to and from the outer cape). Pre-registration is required by 4pm Thursday, April 14. Participants meet at the Shaw’s Supermarket Parking Lot on Route 6 in Dartmouth (van departs promptly at 7am).

To learn more about this event or to pre-register, call the Lloyd Center Event Line at 508-558-2918 or visit the Center’s website, www.lloydcenter.org

TAROT-SCOPES

by The Celtic Cricket and Duir Kell

We use the tarot to predict your horoscope. If you’d like more in depth and personal information, stop by our shop—The Silver Willow in Rehoboth, MA for a private tarot reading.

Aries – Plans start to take off this month, a good time to ask for that raise or bonus in the workplace. This should be a successful month.

Taurus – Speak out; it’s time to be honest and it’s the right time to point things out to your mate. Just be cautious not to accuse without proof.

Gemini – It is time to think about those from your past. Learn to forgive this month and it will bring you to rekindle affection with old friends or old flames.

Cancer – Invest in yourself this month; don’t be generous to others, and question relationships. Keep your eyes open and find balance.

Leo – Your confidence will be stronger this month. As the month goes on it will be a great time to meet goals you keep putting off.

Virgo – Slow but steady wins the race.

Slow victories are on your side; enjoy your accomplishments even if they are small.

Libra – This is a good month to get involved and pick up the pace. Don’t worry about asking for help, because you can do it on your own.

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Pisces – Learn to relax. Financial problems are falling behind you and growth is right front of you. Relax and open your eyes and you will be able to see an opportunity.

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Good for kids, date night, fresh air & exercise Private & Group Golf lessons available Softball & baseball cages Affordable family fun for 4 generations!

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Sagittarius – Choose your words wisely.

You might think you are giving good advice but the way it comes across is too harsh. Keep thoughts and opinions to yourself.

Aquarius – Opportunities in the workplace have great potential of being long term, so show your enthusiastic side and keep your eyes open.

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Providing No. 1 Tan Solutions in the Country!

Scorpio – New ventures will prove to be emotionally and financially rewarding.

Stop looking back—Just go for it. This is a month for action.

Capricorn – This is your month, as romance is in the air! If someone asks you out – say yes with no hesitation or you could miss out.

Voted South Coast Best Fried Clams

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Custom Slipcovers

by Lynn Tondat Ruggeri, Ph.D. Laura Costa, Ph.D. Visit our website to buy online or for list of South Coast stores

www.saferforyourbaby.com

Sofas, chairs, cushions & more • Save 1/2 off designers • You purchase fabric anywhere • Deal with 3rd generation seamstress directly

Linda Toti 508-695-2474 The South Coast Insider / April 2011

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ONGOING

THINGS TO DO

Visit CoastalMags.com for extended listings and to sign-up for our free weekly events email AHA! Night: Downtown New Bedford comes alive with Art, History and Architecture. Every second Thursday of the month. 508-996-8253. www. ahanewbedford.org Buttonwood Park Zoo, 425 Hawthorn Street, New Bedford. 508-991-6178. www.bpzoo.org Common Fence Music, 933 Anthony Road, Portsmouth. 401-683-5085. www.commonfencemusic.org Four Corners Arts Center, 3850 Main Road, Tiverton Four Corners. 401-6242600. www.tivertonfourcorners.com/ artscenter Marion Art Center, 80 Pleasant Street, Marion. 508-748-1266. www. marionartcenter.org Memorial Hall, 124 Bay Street, Rehoboth. 8-11pm. 508-252-6375. www.contradancelinks.com Narrows Center for the Arts, 16 Anawan Street, Fall River. 508-3241926. For schedule of events visit www.ncfta.org New Bedford Art Museum, 608 Pleasant Street, NewBedford.

508-961-3072. www. newbedfordartmuseum.org New Bedford Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford. 508997-0046. www.whalingmuseum.org Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset Street, Providence.

401-421-2787. www.ppacri.org Stone Church Coffee House, 280 High Street, Bristol. 401-253-4813. www.churchstreetcoffeehouse.com Trinity Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington Street, Providence.

401-351-41242. For schedule of events visit www.trinityrep.com Veterans Memorial Auditorium, One Avenue of the Arts, Providence. 401421-2787. www.vmari.com Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, 684 Purchase Street, New Bedford.

508-994-2900. For schedule of events visit www.zeiterion.org 40

April 2011 / The South Coast Insider

Sharing the harvest— literally Through the vision of a few and the efforts of many, five years ago Sharing the Harvest produced its first harvest.

This past season more than 25,000 pounds of produce were harvested on the farm, donated to local food banks and provided 100,000 servings of fresh wholesome food.

This nutrient-rich produce is grown under organic principals, and is a result of the collaborative efforts between YMCA Southcoast with the Hunger Commission of Southeastern Massachusetts, a project of the United Way of Greater New Bedford.

Volunteers help at every stage of farming here from planting seeds, transplanting seedlings, cultivating plants, and harvesting produce.

Volunteering opportunities are now available and drop-in hours may accommodate the individual who might

give a few hours a week or families, businesses, schools and others who might want to volunteer more time.

Scheduled volunteer drop-in hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings from 9am-1pm and Wednesday afternoons 2pm-5pm.

For more information about volunteering, please visit www.ymcasouthcoast.org and search for Sharing the Harvest. You can also contact us by email at sharingtheharvest@ymcasouthcoast.org or via phone at 508993-3361 extension 13.

It pays to be

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While others may charge fees for your extra usage, our Active Checking actually rewards you instead. No added fees. Just added benefits.

If you regularly swipe your debit card for all those daily purchases, you can qualify for higher interest rates, nationwide ATM refunds up to $25 per qualification period, and free online banking and bill pay.

2.22% APY

On balances up to $25,000.

Qualifying is simple: • sign up for online banking with eStatements • receive at least one posted direct deposit, make one posted electronic payment or one posted online bill payment per qualification period • make as few as 12 posted debit card purchases per qualification period.

Sounds easy? It is. Stop by today and make 2011 the year you get Active.

.75% APY on balances over $25,000.

• Free online banking & bill pay • Free eStatements.

• ATM fees refunded up to $25 per qualification period.

Member FDIC Member DIF

www.CitizensUnionBank.com • 508-678-7641 (Connecting all offices) FALL RIVER ~ NEW BEDFORD ~ SOMERSET ~ SWANSEA ~ SEEKONK ~ TIVERTON

The Annual Percentage Yields (APY) are accurate as of 2/15/2011 and are subject to change without notice. The minimum deposit to open the account is $500. 2.22% APY is paid on balances between $0.01 and $25,000 and .75% APY is paid on all amounts above $25,000 each qualification period the minimum qualifications are met. If the minimum qualifications are not met during the qualification period, 0.10% APY will be paid on the entire balance. All foreign (non Citizens~Union) ATM fees are waived and ATM surcharges are refunded up to $25 per qualification period if the minimum qualifications are met. Whether or not the qualifications are met, there is a no monthly service charge. Please refer to the Qualification Calendar on www.citizensunionbank.com for additional information. Available for personal accounts only.

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MODERN DENTISTRY FOR YOUR FAMILY It is with great pleasure we welcome Dr. Aaron Campini to our practice. Dr. Campini attained his dental degree at University of Connecticut in 2009 and completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry program at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010. Dr. Campini’s family is from Acushnet, MA and his roots are in the East Bay area.

Dr. Campini has been with us since July and is a proven asset who shares our philosophy of quality and care in a relaxed environment. I would like to thank all of our patients for letting us provide your dental care. We appreciate each and every one of you! — Dr. J.P. Van Regenmorter

Mother’s Day Promotion

Buy any 4 beads and get either a bangle or a snap bracelet FREE OR Buy any 3 beads and get the 4th for free.

Offer valid: April 26-May 7, 2011

The latest technology and professional standards coupled with on time personalized service.

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Get off the fence…heat with a Pellet Stove

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Open: Mon-Sat 10am-6pm

OPEN SUNDAYS: 11-4pm NO. DARTMOUTH ONLY

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This is the cancer team

YOU want on your side.

THERESE MULVEY, MD Physician-in-Chief/ Medical Oncologist

MARK SHPARBER, MD Medical Oncologist/ Hematologist

ELIZABETH BLANCHARD, MD Medical Oncologist/Hematologist

TODD F. ROBERTS, MD Medical Oncologist/ Hematologist

TUSHAR KUMAR, MD Radiation Oncologist

HARRY W. MATELSKI, MD Medical Oncologist/ Hematologist

PATRICK GAGNON, MD Radiation Oncologist

Great local care with top national connections: Nobody fights cancer alone, not even our doctors.

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Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care have advanced chemotherapy, radiation treatment and experienced oncologists credentialed by the MD Anderson Physicians Network®. This is the quality and care you’re looking for, and it’s just minutes away.

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