South Coast Insider - October 2012

the south coast October 2012 / Vol. 16 / No. 10

coastalmags.com

Time for

treats Cemetery tours South Coast haunts Cider celebrations

DATELINES • WINE NOTES • BUSINESS BUZZ • BOOK PICKS • THINGS TO DO

“He’s the perfect match for our business.”

Richard Oliveira of Princess Limousine speaking about Ed Moniz, Business Development Specialist at St. Anne’s Credit Union.

“After many years of looking for the best financial partner for our business, we finally met our perfect match,” says Richard Oliveira, President of Princess Limousine in Fall River. He’s talking about Ed Moniz, Business Development Specialist for Anne’s Credit Union.

“Ed’s banking experience has been a critical part of our business success,” Richard says.

“Over the years, he has gotten us into programs that have saved us literally thousands of dollars a month.”

L to R: Princess Limousine Office Manager Paul Cabral and President Richard Oliveira; St. Anne’s Credit Union Business Development Specialist Ed Moniz; and Princess Limousine General Manager Brian Thomas.

Richard says Ed Moniz has truly earned his trust by looking out for Princess Limousine. “Ed is a no-nonsense guy who will go to bat for you and your company. Not too many business people today can measure up to him.”

Ready for a local banker who’s the perfect match for your business?

Call Ed Moniz today at (508) 542-7949.

“We’re making a difference.”

Dartmouth • Fall River • Fairhaven New Bedford • Somerset • Swansea Federally insured by NCUA St. Anne’s Credit Union NMLS #: 525435

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LOGO W

OCTOBER 2012

Contents In Every Issue

FLASH

THINGS TO DO

4

22

24

Music men

By David M. Prentiss

From the publisher

8

On my mind: Taunton’s Smokin’

By Paul E. Kandarian

29

A “soft opening” for Children’s Museum

Two September events raise funds to aid children and historic preservation Summer’s Last Blast

10

Dateline: South Coast

By Elizabeth Morse Read

30

38

Book Picks: Novel novels

BUsINESS

By Magoo Gelehrter

47 Tarot-Scopes

36

Businesses need balance

By Jay Pateakos

26

Visit a grist mill

By Amy Dion

28

Helping Hips help others

Visit CoastalMags.com for things to do.

By The Celtic Cricket

COVER STORY

32

Marketing tips

By Sherri Mahoney-Battles

16

Visit a grave

34

Freetown roundabout

By Joyce Rowley

By Paul Mission

18

Frightening fun

WINE NOTES

By Laura Monteiro

20

Sip some cider

By Brian J. Lowney

46

Top treats

By Elizabeth Morse Read

2

34

40

Time for Tempranillo

by Alton Long

CURRENT ISSUES

42

Women still not equal

By Elizabeth Morse Read

44

Politics & arses

By Paul Letendre

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

ON THE COVER It’s that time of year. Let’s hope you have more treats than tricks.

Elizabeth Morse Read answers some questions about candy on page 46— plus there are plenty of other goodies in this issue.

WE’RE

PROVIDING THE

quality care

you

Thanks to the commitment of our clinicians and employees, Saint Anne’s Hospital received an “A” grade for Patient Safety from the nationally recognized Leapfrog Group. Saint Anne’s Hospital received a higher Hospital Safety ScoreSM than other hospitals in our community. World-class health care where you live. saintanneshospital.org

NEED IN THE

community

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LIVE.

Hospital Safety ScoreSM results were published June 2012. The grades used in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score Program are derived from expert analysis of publicly available data using national evidence-based measures of patient safety. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score Program grades hospitals on their overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors. For more information visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org

Friday Night Scary Hayrides Last three weekends in Oct., and Fri. & Sat. nights 7-10pm

Simcock Farm Spooky Sundae Hayrides - Fun for the young ghouls—bring a flashlight and go on a dark hayride, walk through the corn maze and then make your own sundae! Every Sunday night, starting on September 29, 6:30-9:00pm

Pick your own pumpkin n Hayrides n Corn maze n

Harvest decorations n Petting animals n Vegetables stand n

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New Fall Arrivals Irish Knit Sweaters in beautiful colors Huge selection of caps and hats for men— traditional and new styles New Fall Jewelry Collection One of a kind sapphire and diamonds New clothing items made in Ireland for babies and toddlers HOURS: Mon., Tue., Wed., Sat 10-5, Thu. 10-7, Sun. 12-5

Visit our website and Facebook page — OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK — 20 Commerce Way v Seekonk, MA 800-550-2724 v 508-336-6500

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The South Coast Insider / October 2012

3

FROM THE PUBLISHER October 2012 / Vol. 16 / No. 9 Published by Coastal Communications Corp.

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Ljiljana Vasiljevic

October is a month of tricks and treats—and this issue

Editors Joe Murphy Michael J. Vieira, Ph.D.

focuses on the good things to enjoy in the South Coast.

Looking for a cool autumn ride? Joyce Rowley shares some

Contributors The Celtic Cricket, Amy Dion, Paul E. Kandarian, Paul Letendre, Alton Long, Tom Lopes, Brian J. Lowney, Sherri Mahoney-Battles, Paul Mission, Laura Monteiro, Jay Pateakos, Dave Prentiss, Elizabeth Morse Read, and Joyce Rowley 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.

cemeteries to tour and Laura Monteiro takes a look at the area’s frighteningly fun attractions. Want to sip cider and chill? Brian Lowney serves up his suggestions.

We’ve also expanded our business section this month.

Learn how to balance your business from Jay Pateakos, discover some marketing ideas from Sherri Mahoney-Battles and find out about Freetown’s roundabout.

All contents copyright ©2012 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.

Plus we’re taking a look at some current issues like women’s equality and the relationship between arses and politics. After reflecting on the issues, sit back, sip a Tempranillo or just grab a handful of candies suggested by Elizabeth Morse Read.

And don’t forget to check out our regular features and advertisers. For up-todate listings and things to do, go to www.coastalmags.com.

Enjoy,

Circulation 30,000 Subscriptions $25 per year

Address The South Coast Insider 144 Purchase Street • PO Box 3493 Fall River, MA 02722

Ljiljana Vasiljevic Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Phone (508) 677-3000

Website www.coastalmags.com

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

4

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

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The South Coast Insider / October 2012

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October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

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LETTERS

N e w at P a r tn e r s

JONATHAN ADLER

Last month we invited your comments on what could be done to enhance the appearance of the twin cooling towers at the Brayton Point power plant in Somerset. The responses have ranged between unprintable and fascinating. We will continue to

Potte r y

accept ideas. Send yours to editor@coastalmags.com Here are some reader’s thoughtful suggestions:

I read with interest Paul Letendre’s “Our New Twins” article in September’s issue, and how the Brayton Point Power Plant towers are in dire need of a ‘makeover’, as Mr. Letendre put it. I couldn’t agree more; this project has been on my mind for a good while...

I am an artist and designer in Somerset who has pondered these structures...

They are benign—created to cool the local waters and aid our environment— and yet due to their color, structure and sheer mass, they present an oppressive aspect...

For those living literally in their shadows, their presence must be overwhelming.

Surely something can be done to temper the effect these behemoths have upon the local landscape.

865 Main Road, Westport, MA 508-636-2572, 9:30 am - 5:00 pm partnersvillagestore.com Follow us on facebook

I suggest painting the towers a soft blue that relates to the sky (the water tower off of Read St. in Somerset is a perfect color; it appears to change with the weather). I also recommend more lights on the towers’ top rims...

At night, however, an opportunity for dramatic effect presents itself in the application of projected lights on the towers.

Bryson Dean-Gauthier Somerset, MA

My name is Abel Uwanogho. I am a local artist in Fall River. When I read your article about designing the towers, I was very interested. I came up with the attached concept. I think it will bring a sense of serenity and hope to the area. I’m quite sure the readers will agree.

Abel Uwanogho Fall River, MA The South Coast Insider / October 2012

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ON MY MIND

Taunton’s still smokin’

by Paul E. Kandarian

Taunton, where I live, is a city of firsts. It’s the first community founded by a woman. It’s the first city to have streets suitable for training for Mars landing vehicles, given the rugged terrain of endless potholes. It is the first community in the state to vote for casino gambling. And it is the first city where every single citizen—except me—smokes.

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October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

OK, some of that is true.

Elizabeth Poole founded the place back in the 17th century, the last time we had good roads was because there weren’t any. It is indeed the first—and only—community in the state to have citizenry stupid enough to vote for casino gambling, figuring importing all that crime, prostitution and crappy jobs would be a step up. Funny thing is, they’d be right.

And I’m pretty sure I am the only one in the city to not smoke. I say this because virtually everywhere I look, every breath I take, someone is smoking, and it stinks.

Yes, I’m a reformed smoker, and yes, I can be a royal pain in the butt about it, pun smokily intended. Any exsmoker will tell you they are acutely attuned to the stench that is smoking; we can smell it a mile away.

And I swear, driving down just about any city street, particularly downtown, everyone I see walking down the street or huddled in a doorway has a cigarette in their mouths. If not, the guy in front of me does, or two, three cars up, puffing away, and sure as hell, the smoke finds its way to my car, and it’s all I smell.

Worse, I live in a building where apparently it’s the rule that to live here, you must smoke.

I’m pretty sure everyone but me does. There’s a small child in one of the apartments whose middle name

should be “Second-Hand Smoke” by now. The hallway reeks of smoke, the whole building should be picked up and relocated to West Virginia, which has the highest adult smoking rate in the country (odd that seven of the top 10 states are in the south, which also has the most fat people. You’d think all those smokers would be thin. Go figure).

But as I said, this is a city that voted gleefully to allow casino gambling in its smoke-infested borders, which isn’t surprising, since casinos tend to smell like giant ashtrays.

They have some of the most powerful air filtration systems known to man, and should, given the money they suck in, but you just can’t adequately kill the smell of smoke unless you kill all the smokers. And trust me,

One thing I hate about the place is detail cops. In Taunton, road detail work is a cottage industry. You can’t pass the smallest road job and not see a cell phone or Dunkin’ Donuts cup without a cop attached to them.

It’s maddening because, near as I can tell, they do less work for most money than your average pro golfer, who at least walks around and waves to people.

I was coming down a street recently in the center of the city, and sat at a light watching a detail cop texting on his cell phone. I drove by, took his picture with mine and put it on Facebook.

Small acts of revenge mean so much.

And most recently, they’ve been doing some road work on Route 44 in Taunton, by the Raynham line. I travel

There are a lot of fine people living here and I’m sure four or five of them, like me, don’t smoke.

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I hate to sound like a disgruntled former smoker, but color me gray, I can’t help it, it stinks.

And I hate to sound down on the city of Taunton…no wait, I don’t hate that at all, it’s a dumpy place, like Brockton, only with shorter buildings and way worse restaurants.

No, that’s mean, there are a lot of fine people living here and I’m sure four or five of them, like me, don’t smoke.

I think it’s just cause I’ve lived here so long, 30-plus years, so maybe I’m jaded, not to mention smoke-scented.

I started working at the local paper in the early 1980s and saw the best and worst of local politics (mostly worst) and being a journalist, adopted this dour, negative attitude that no matter how many events featuring free food I attended, never improved.

that way often and get aggravated every time because of the usual traffic, and the road work just makes it worse.

I usually come down Route 44 toward Taunton every day, and lately the traffic starts backing up past Benny’s, and on the other side, it’s worse, backing up sometimes all the way to the city center.

Why? Because there are two cops there on road details doing less work than the holes they are watching in the road. Honestly. There’s a traffic signal that totally slows the flow of cars, a situation that could be easily eradicated if the cops would stop texting or sipping coffee long enough to, oh I don’t know, call me crazy, but direct freakin’ traffic once in awhile.

But hey, what am I complaining about? At least they’re not smoking.

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The South Coast Insider / October 2012

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DATELINE: SOUTH COAST

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

by Elizabeth Morse Read

Is it Fall yet? We’ve endured record high temperatures, great white sharks, rabid foxes, swarms of infected mosquitoes, cows on Rt. 195, droughts/floods/wildfires/hurricanes throughout the country, and a Biblical plague of politicians.

Across the region…

Gasoline and food prices spike every time someone in Washington burps or when some maniac overseas threatens world peace. It’s time for cooler weather, cooler heads, and hunkering down for the presidential election. The holiday season is nigh…

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The kids are back to school, but there’s plenty of time for hay rides, corn mazes, Oktoberfests, pumpkinpicking, and leaf-peeping. Time to put away the AC and the lawn-furniture, to prep your gardens, and clean your chimney and furnace.

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Farmers markets and road-side stands are still around—to find one near you, go to www.semaponline. org.

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First it was Circuit City and now Best Buy is in danger of closing its doors.

Big-box electronics stores are getting hammered by online shopping trends.

And there are rumors that Shaw’s and Star Markets are in danger of being sold off.

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Cape Wind has cleared its final hurdle, with the FAA declaration that the 130-turbine project off Cape Cod poses no hazard to air traffic.

Construction could begin as soon as next year, and a lot of the activity will start here on the South Coast.

If you’re 50 or older, learn more about the day trips sponsored by the n New Bedford Senior Travel Program.

There’s the Fall Foliage Mystery Tour October 10—and the Oct. 28-30 trip to Atlantic City. Call 508-991-6171 for more info. n

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The South Coast’s fishing industry continues to be battered by near-crippling regulations. There are new (and severe) restrictions on herring, cod and flounder catches; even scallopers are impacted because of by-catch mandates. Congressional delegations are petitioning the federal government for emergency disaster relief to stave off financial ruin for the region’s core industry.

The Fairhaven Council on Aging is sponsoring a trip to Foxwoods on Oct. 24 for Oh, What a Night!, a musical tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Call 508-979-4029.

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Attleboro

n

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spur through the UMass Dartmouth campus (see the Fairhaven listing, too).

When completed, the Bikeway will stretch from Swansea to Wareham.

The South Coast Bikeway continues to progress with the recent “interim” plan in Dartmouth, which would connect Westport to Padanaram, with a

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October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

Enjoy a year-‘round farmers market at Attleboro Farms. Visit www.attleborofarms.com or call 508-695-7200.

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Bristol Don’t miss “A Fall Affair” at Blithewold on Oct. 14—food, music and entertainment. Call 401-253-2707 or visit www.blithewold.org.

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Continued on page 12

Money Minute Tips Planning Ahead for Educational Costs

C

ollege is expensive and at some point, many parents wonder and worry about how to pay for it. According to the 2012 “How America Pays for College” study, only 39% of the 800 families surveyed had a financial plan to cover the full cost of college before being enrolled. The survey concluded that those with a plan are less likely to borrow money, which can be a big benefit when you consider the potential interest on a loan and how many years it may take to repay it. Instead of burdening your family with hefty loans, talk to an investment services professional in advance about the many different education investment options available. A local investment services professional can explain and suggest different choices based on your family’s financial condition, how long you have to save, and your child’s educational goals. This kind of upfront, personal guidance can make a big difference on graduation day and the years that follow.

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New Bedford YMCA 508.997.0734

The South Coast Insider / October 2012

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Continued from page 10

Carver Make a pilgrimage to King Richard’s Faire on the weekends through Oct. 21 for some unusual family fun. Call 508-866-5391 or visit www.kingrichardsfaire.net.

A new bicycle path on Sconticut Neck Road will lead to West Island, and an extension will also be added to allow children to ride their bikes to the Wood School.

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exhibits for the dinosaur room in the Greater Fall River Children’s Museum, which recently moved into its permanent home at the former Superior Court building.

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Reverse-911 calls warned residents of shark sightings off West Island and Sconticut Neck just before Labor Day weekend.

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Dartmouth:

Dress up the kiddies for the Hallowe’en Horribles Parade, which starts at 5 PM from Benoit Square in North Fairhaven on Sunday, October 28.

The Wal-Mart Supercenter expansion is scheduled to open by August 2013, with 20K more square feet and a greatly expanded grocery section and garden center.

Fall River

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Plans for a makeover of the Burger King on Route 6 are awaiting town approval. The current building will be completely replaced.

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Hawthorne Medical Associates has announced a new affiliation with Steward Health Care System, the for-profit medical provider which currently operates St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River. Current Hawthorne patients should not see any major changes as a result of the shift.

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Easton Easton holds the dubious distinction of having been identified as the epicenter of the EEE virus outbreak. Mosquitoes breeding in the Hockomock Swamp have spread the deadly disease, along with West Nile virus, throughout the region.

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Fairhaven n The Phoenix Crew Club won multiple awards and trophies at the Diversity Invitational in Rochester NY, including the overall team points trophy.

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Start-up venture Logi Coul Solutions is improving the capabilities and performance of batteries. They got their start for this potentially-lucrative technology at UMass Dartmouth’s incubator site, the Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center.

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n Be swept away by “=The Sound of Music October 6-9, presented by the Little Theatre at the Jackson Performing Arts Center at Bristol Community College. For more info, go to www.littletheatre.net.

Take the kids to The Monster Bash Oct. 19-21 at BCC’s Arts Center. Call 508-259-9054 or visit www.littlefolkstheatre.com.

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St. Anne’s Hospital broke ground on its new three-story patient care wing in August.

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Philips Lightolier, a leader in LED lighting technology, will be retrofitting the Ernst & Young office space in New York City near Times Square, saving the company $1 million annually and reducing their energy consumption by 54%.

The Narrows Center for the Arts has a full schedule this month – Jorma Kaukonen, Loudon Wainwright III, the Kathleen Edwards Trio – and much more! For complete details, visit www. ncfta.org or call 508-324-1926.

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Sample 20 craft and imported beers on board the USS Massachusetts, 12:30 to 4:30pm on October 7. Live music ant food, too! Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at door. Call 508678-1100 x 101 or email paulah@ battleshipcove.or

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Lakevile Students who live outside the Freetown-Lakeville School District are now welcome to attend. For more information, interested parents can call 508-923-2000 x 1705.

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Marion Salvatore Giglia and his wife Sharon Jorgensen have established the sole American distribution site of the revolutionary food wrap imported from Italy called Ovtene. Originally created to preserve cheese, Ovtene is 100% recyclable, made from egg shells and can double or triple the refrigerated life of perishable foods. The couple plans to set up production of Ovtene on the South Coast in the future.

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Art students from Bristol Community College spent some of their summer vacation fabricating

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October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

Middletown Enjoy the music at Common Fence Music this month—Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Sicilian folk music, the Jonathan Edwards Trio. Call 401-683-5085 or go to www.commonfencemusic.org.

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New Bedford A massive redesign project at the intersection of Route 140, Route 6 and Brownell Avenue near Buttonwood Park is slated to begin in 2014. Federal highway funds will pay for 80% of the project.

Not Your Average Plumber.

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Chow down at the New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival on October 7. Go to www.downtownnb.org or call 508-990-2777.

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Kick off the Zeiterion’s 30th anniversary with a birthday bash week Oct. 7-13 featuring the Silk Road Ensemble, Art Garfunkel and more! Or enjoy a production of Pride and Prejudice on October 19. Go to www.zeiterion.org or call 508-994-2900 for details.

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New Bedford Community Rowing has received a $10K grant from the Island Foundation of Marion. To learn more, call 508-717-9799.

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Relive the social movements of the ‘60s with Your Theatre’s production of “The Activist” October 11-14. For more info, go to info@yourtheatre.org or call 508-993-0772.

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The new “Mayor’s Gallery” in the Ashley Room of City Hall will feature a rotating exhibit of works by local artists and artisans.

We make custom sizes for your Antique Pieces.

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Retreat into a day of Peace of Mind on October 27 at the Serlingpa Meditation Center. Call 508-979-8277 or go to www.meditationinmass.org.

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A memorial honoring the city’s female veterans is scheduled to join other military monuments at Fort Taber Park.

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Enjoy an evening of free family fun and entertainment at AHA! Night on the second Thursday of every month.

The theme for October 11 is “Naughty & Notorious.” Go to www.ahanewbedford.org for a full schedule.

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Continued on next page

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“Sleep in Comfort at a Price You Can Afford” The South Coast Insider / October 2012

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Continued from previous page The Ocean Explorium saw record attendance this past year, with twice the number of school groups visiting. For hours and activities, go to www.oceanexplorium.org or call 508-994-5400.

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Keep up with what’s going on at New Bedford’s Buttonwood Park at www. bpzoo.org or 508-991-6178, or at the Whaling Museum at www.whalingmuseum.org or 508-997-0046.

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Farmers Market at Fairhaven High School Sundays, Oct 7 & 14, 1-4 p.m.

Fresh produce and locally produced products are available at the region’s newest Farmers Market. Free.

SPECIAL EVENTS Riverside Cemetery Tour Sunday, October 7, 2:00 p.m.

274 Main Street Begins inside main gate of cemetery, Main St. Tour this beautiful rural-style cemetery created in 1850 by F.D.R.’s grandfather Warren Delano. Learn about some of the prominent people buried there, see examples of early graveyard art and enjoy an autumn walk. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Wear comfortable walking shoes. Free.

Scarecrow Contest/Display set-up Saturday, October 13 on display through Nov. 3 Fairhaven Academy Building 141 Main Street Enter homemade scarecrows to decorate the west lawn of Fairhaven High and for chance to win a prize. Rules are posted at HauntedFairhaven.blogspot.com

Halloween Horribles Parade Sunday, October 28, 5:00 p.m.

Main Street from Benoit Square to St. Mary’s Church A judged costume parade for all ages with prizes awarded in several age groups. Candy, cookies, cider and cocoa. Sponsored by the North Fairhaven Improvement Association. Free

Fairhaven Office of Tourism 43 Center Street, Fairhaven, MA

508-979-4085 FairhavenTours@aol.com

M,T,Th,F,Sat. 8:30 - 4:30 http://Fairhaventours.blogspot.com

14

Don’t forget your business cards at “Ladies Night to Shine” networking get-together at The Sky Room at Howland Place on October 4, 5:308:30 PM. For details, contact Linda Quinn at 508-991-5597 or at lindamm. quinn@gmail.com.

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Newport Check out the International Oktoberfest Oct. 6 and 7 or the Food Truck Fest October 20. For complete details, go to www.newportwaterfrontevents.com or call 401-846-1600.

Get in the act at the Providence Performing Arts Center! For more information, call 402-421-2787 or go to www.festivalballet.com or www. ppacri.org.

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Rehoboth Kick off the 12th season of the Arts in the Village Concert series on October 13, with a performance by pianist Christopher Atzinger at the Goff Memorial Hall. For details, call 508-252-5718 or go to www.carpentermuseum.org.

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Rochester Police Chief Paul Magee has been chosen to attend the National FBI Academy in Quantico VA, one of only 250 police officers nationwide selected for the 8-10 week executive police training program.

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Raise a stein at the International Oktoberfest this Columbus Day weekend (Oct. 6-7). Call 401-846-1600 or go to www.newportwaterfrontevents. com for details.

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Providence Stroll through the “Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular” at Roger Williams Park Zoo starting October 4. Visit www.rwpzoo.org or call 401-785-3510.

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King Lear will be performed at Trinity Rep in Providence through October 21. Call 401-351-4242 or go to www. trinityrep.com. Discounts for seniors, students, educators and heroes (military, police, and firefighters). n And get discount tickets there for performances of the RI Philharmonic, too! For a schedule, call 401-248-7000 or visit www.ri-philharmonic.org. n

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

Seekonk Enjoy Pumpkin rides and a minicorn maze every weekend this month, 11AM to 5PM at 4 Town Farm. Call 508-9336-5587 or got to www.fourtownfarm.com for more information.

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Swansea The Wood Street bridge replacement project, which has been plagued with delays as the Town waited for federal cash and then for corrections to the construction, hit another unspecified snag in mid September, but the delay this time was expected to be brief, and the bridge should be open to traffic as you read this in early October.

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Taunton

The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe has made its first payment to the city as part of the casino agreement, which awaits only federal approval to move forward.

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The Taunton Public Library offers free or discounted tickets/passes to many area attractions such as Buttonwood Park Zoo, the Children’s Museum and Science Museum in Boston.

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Our Elder Care

Your Peace of Mind

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The town’s Village Streetscape Design Project continues with the opening of the newly developed Pezzoli Square on Main Street.

EldersFirst helps seniors living at home maintain their independence while giving their loved ones peace of mind. Our unique consulting service takes the guesswork out of health care management.

The WalMart Supercenter in West Wareham is one step closer to becoming a reality (at least on paper).

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In a trend seen across the South Coast, the town has chosen to close a small elementary school and drop high school cross country and boys volleyball rather than lay off teachers.

Health Status Review Medications Management Coordination of In-Home Care Medical, Legal, and Financial Referrals

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EldersFirst, Fall River

elders-first.com ¡ 508.677.4367

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Warren Don’t miss the GIANT (almost a ton) pumpkin weigh off on Oct 7 at Frerichs Farm, at 43 Kinnicutt Avenue.

And every October weekend, paint a pumpkin, ride in the Magic Pumpkin Coach, make a scarecrow, and more!

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Enjoy a performance of The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? at the 2nd Story Theatre through Oct. 21. For details, call 401-247-4200 or go to www.2ndstorytheatre.com.

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Enjoy the weekend events and activities at the Pumpkin Palooza at Freriches Farm in Warren RI through Oct. 31. Call 401-245-8245 or go to www.frerichesfarm.com.

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The South Coast Insider / October 2012

15

COVER STORY

New Bedford Preservation Society members will perform at the Seamen’s Bethel (Oct 11) and at Oak Grove Cemetery (Oct 21).

Dig these South Coast cemeteries

by Joyce Rowley

If cemeteries creep you out because they make you think of brain-eating zombies and Frankenstein and ghouls, you’re missing out on one of the coolest ways to learn about the South Coast. While I enjoy a good B-rated monster movie as much as the next person, for me cemeteries have always been a place to explore the past.

Graveyards combine all of the things I enjoy most: history, culture, genealogy and even architecture. The headstone and mausoleums materials, design and use of symbolism tell me as much about the architecture at the time of the burial as do houses and gardens of that period.

So when I see a cemetery, I have to pull the car over and check it out.

But I’m not the only one drawn to the grave.

16

Start at your public library It wasn’t hard to find kindred spirits on the South Coast when I moved here four years ago. Ask any local librarian and they will gladly dig up and share the dirt on who’s buried where, famous or infamous. In fact, many librarians keep databases gleaned from cemetery records.

Take Wareham, for example. Without leaving the comfort of home, you can explore the local cemeteries, research your family tree if you have ancestors who lived or died in Wareham, or maybe just get nosey about the town’s founders.

The Wareham Free Public Library catalogued the burial data of all four Wareham cemeteries so the public can search it for free on line.

Local Wareham historians Andrew

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

and Richard Griffith have also put the Agawam cemetery, the oldest public town cemetery, dating back to the 1700s, into an online database that can be searched by name. The gravestones are linked to maps of the cemetery and photos of the headstones.

Likewise, Millicent Library archivist Deborah Charpentier in Fairhaven researched both of the town cemeteries, Riverside and Woodside, to create a database that links the gravesites with the vital statistics for each buried person.

Charpentier and her volunteers spent countless hours visiting the gravesites, photographing headstones, and hunting through Fairhaven and state records going back to the 1800s to glean as much as possible about each person. Each gravesite is now

tied to data on the person’s parents, spouse, birth, age at death and cause of death. While the data is not yet online, Charpentier will search the database upon request.

Last year, Charpentier hired the New Hampshire-based company Topographix to perform ground-penetrating radar at Woodside cemetery, where a monument which stated there were unmarked graves left too much to guessing.

Charpentier wanted to know where they were in order to, perhaps, find out who they were. The results were in keeping with existing death records: an astonishing possible 230 graves were without markers.

Take the scenic route Fairhaven’s Office of Tourism offers tours of the Riverside cemetery on upper Main Street. Led by Christopher J. Richards, local historian and Fairhaven’s director of tourism, the 90 minute tour includes the history of the cemetery as well as the town’s inhabitants.

Riverside, founded by Warren Delano in 1850, was built as a “garden-style” or rural cemetery. Prior to that time, cemeteries were largely flat open areas with rows of graves, says Richards.

Garden-style cemeteries were laid out with landscaped winding paths that made them enjoyable for visitors.

The tour highlights the Fairhaven Delanos’ crypt, although the two presidents descended from this branch of the family, Teddy Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, aren’t buried there. Of interest is the crypt design by Richard Morris Hunt, a nationally renowned architect.

Richards’ tour also includes the Henry Huttleston Rogers family, known for their philanthropic donations creating the Town Hall, Fairhaven High School and the Millicent Library.

And he points out the grave of Fairhaven druggist Eli Bence, who refused to sell Lizzie Borden prussic acid the day before her parents were murdered. Lizzie Borden was later tried and acquitted for the murders of her prominent banker father and her stepmother in Fall River in 1892.

A dramatic tour On Sunday, October 21 (rain date 28th), the New Bedford Preservation Society will present its second cemetery tour focusing on the Civil War period. featuring historic portrayals by actors in period costume, depicting New Bedford’s famous and not-sofamous at grave sites along the tour route.

The Society sponsors this “window to the culture of the past” as a chance for “voices from the past” to speak to us of their lives and the history of their era.

Guided one-hour walking tours leave from the Parker Street entrance of Oak Grove Cemetery every 15 minutes beginning at 1 pm, with the last tour leaving at 2:30. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased at the Oak Grove Cemetery gate on the day of tour. Call 508-997-6425 or visit www.nbpreservationsociety.org for further information. The tour is non-handicap accessible.

If you go this month Fairhaven’s Riverside Cemetery Tour starts at 2 p.m., Sunday, October 7, 2012 at the entrance to Riverside on upper Main Street, Fairhaven. The walk is free as are brochures of the cemetery available at the Visitor’s Center, 43 Center Street, Fairhaven.

For more information, email FairhavenTours@aol.com New Bedford Preservation Society’s second Civil War tour will be held on Sunday, October 21, 2012. As of printing, the final details were not available.

Call the Preservation Society at 508997-7425 for information.

If you stay at home

Day Out with Thomas October 5-8, 13-14

NATIONAL CRANBERRY FESTIVAL October 20-21

THE GREAT PUMPkin pageant October 27-28

Tickets are on sale now at

Armchair gravediggers will find these library database links useful:

www.edaville.com 508-866-8190

n Wareham Library database: http://xserve1.whatifnet.com/ vitalstats/warehamma n Agawam Cemetery database: www.warehamhistory.com/ AgawamCemetery

Fall River Library cemetery database: www.sailsinc.org/fallriver/cemeteries. htm

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Capture the magic

5 Pine Street Carver, MA

The South Coast Insider / October 2012

17

COVER STORY

Frightening fun

By Laura Monteiro

Looking for a ghoulishly good time this October? Check out some of the South Coast’s frighteningly fun features—if you dare.

Fall River Now in its 17th year, the Factory of Terror is dubbed New England’s largest, most frightening haunted house attraction. Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for children under 10; a VIP ticket—which includes a speed pass, free custom t-shirt and a photo with a Factory of Terror ghoul—is $40.

This year’s new attractions are Blood Worth Dungeon, 4D Blackout and Phobia Mayhem. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. on October 5-8, 12-14, 19-21, 25-31. Please visit www.factoryofterror.com for coupons, online rates and closing times. Factory of Terror is located at 33 Pearl Street.

Lakeville Twenty-one years of blood and tears!

The Lakeville Haunted House is not 18

for the faint at heart. You may make it out alive, but you’ll never be the same.

It’s open October 12-13, 19-20 and 26-27.

Tickets are on sale from 6-10 p.m. and walking tours start at 7 p.m.

Admission is $13. Visit www.lakevillehauntedhouse.com for a $3 coupon for October 12 and 13. Members of the military can show their ID and receive free admission. Lakeville Haunted House is located at 29 Precinct Street.

for children under 12. Admission to the Tunnels is $10 for general and $18 for priority.

If the paranormal is more your scene, you can join a ghost hunt with members of the Rhode Island Paranormal Research Group for only $13.

Rent a ghost hunting kit for an extra $10. Tickets are on a first come, first serve basis.

There is also a ghost tour; for $5 you will explore the Fort Adams State Park with a local folklorist who will educate you on the history of the Park. Event times are from 6-10 p.m. on October 12-13, 19-20 and 26-28.

Visit www.fortressofnightmares.com for more information. Fort Adams State Park is located at 90 Fort Adams Drive.

Newport

Portsmouth

Dare to be scared at Fort Adams State Park, where the creepy Fortress of Nightmares includes several different attractions. First, Tunnels of Terror explores what could happen after a virus outbreak causes the End of Days.

This attraction is not recommended

Bring the kids for a day at the corn maze at Escobar’s Highland Farm, open from 3:30 p.m. on Fridays, 10 a.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. on Sundays through November 4. The maze closes at dusk.

Admission is $7 for ages twelve and

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

up, $5 for ages five to eleven and children under four get in free. Visit www. escobarshighlandfarm.com for a $1 coupon.

This year’s eight acre corn maze was designed by Brett Herbst with the theme of Fun at the Farm. Attractions this year include hayrides, the hay play area and concessions.

There is also a Halloween party from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 27 (rain date October 28). Come in costume and receive $1 off the admission price.

Escobar’s Highland Farm is located at 255 Middle Road.

New Bedford Sponsored by Bristol County Savings Bank, Boo at the Zoo – located at Buttonwood Park Zoo – features several spooktacular events for children of all ages. Admission is $13 for adults and $10 for children. Children under age three get in free. Members pay $8 for adults and $5 for children.

Attractions include a haunted trail for older children, a friendly haunted forest, free train ride, hay maze, free carousel ride and candy and treat stations. Halloween items will also be available at the Bear’s Den Café and the North Woods Gift Store. Boo at the Zoo will be open from 6-9 p.m. on October 12-14, 19-21 and 26-28. For more information, visit www.bpzoo. org. Buttonwood Park Zoo is located at 425 Hawthorn Street.

Dartmouth Pack up your costumed monsters and ghouls for a chilling evening at the Stone Barn Farm. The Halloween Family Spooktacular is sponsored

by Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary of Westport, orchestrated by volunteers, and includes interactive trick-or-treat stations along the trails, holiday crafts and a child-friendly spooky night hike. Admission is $8 for members and $10 for non-members.

The event will be held from 2-8 p.m. on Sunday, October 28, and it suitable for children ages 2-16. Costumes are highly encouraged. For more information, visit www.massaudubon.org.

The Stone Barn Farm is located at 786 Horseneck Road.

Seekonk Have a pumpkin-smashing good time at the action track of the East!

From 2-5:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 14, Seekonk Speedway will host a Pumpkin Smash Spooktacular. Action packed entertainment will include spectator drags, car and truck Enduro races, Enduro drags, and a pumpkin smash figure eight race.

Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 6-12. Children under five get in free. Visit www. seekonkspeedway.com for more information. Seekonk Speedway is located at 1710 Fall River Avenue (Route 6).

Swansea Are you afraid of the dark? If so, then you’ll love the hayrides on the Stony Creek Haunted Trails. Get ready to be scared, because this attraction is recommended for ages 12 and up.

Creepy clowns, terrifying chainsaws and ghastly ghouls await you from 8-10 p.m. on October 19-20 and 26-27.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Refreshments will be served.

Stony Creek Farm is located at 1210 Wilbur Avenue.

Wareham For the real ghost hunters and history buffs, Legend Trips will be hosting a Haunted History Night on Saturday, October 20. Tickets are $99 and space is limited.

From 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., brave guests will participate in paranormal investigations of four haunted buildings including The Fearing Tavern, The One Room Schoolhouse, The Union Chapel and The Old Methodist Meeting House. Dinner is included and participants will also be part of a live taping of 30 Odd Minutes with Host Jeff Belanger, is a successful author, speaker and media personality on the paranormal. For more information, visit www.legendtrips.com.

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The South Coast Insider / October 2012

19

COVER STORY

Sip some cider

by Brian J. Lowney

There’s nothing more refreshing than a tall glass of ice-cold cider on a crisp autumn day.

For New Englanders, cider is as much a part of autumn as are falling leaves, witches and goblins, and high school football games.

Generations continue to savor the fall favorite when they enjoy horse-drawn hayrides, paint bright orange pumpkins at Halloween parties, or gather around the table at Thanksgiving to count their many blessings.

At Dartmouth Orchards in North Dartmouth, third generation farmer Brian Medeiros has been pressing cider for almost 40 years.

waste—discarded apple pulp and skins—to another local farmer who feeds it to his cows and swine.

A sweet season According to Medeiros, the cider gets sweeter as the season progresses. Cider production at Dartmouth Orchards usually starts in mid-September and runs until Christmas or until the supply is gone.

Medeiros adds that the orchard has about 2,000 apple trees in more than 20 varieties. Since different apple varieties mature at various times

Fresh and natural “Our cider is unpasteurized and has no preservatives,” begins Medeiros, adding that he uses the same process that his grandfather Antone and father Raymond employed for decades on the picturesque 80 year-old family farm.

“People come from all over just because of that,” he continues, adding that a jug of unpasteurized cider will last about 14 days in the refrigerator before it starts to ferment.

Medeiros notes that some customers, especially those who travel a great distance to purchase the fruity beverage, often freeze the cider for a few weeks or months and save it for a special occasion.

Other folks, he adds, use the beverage to make hard cider, a popular winter alcoholic drink.

Medeiros says that it takes 45 apples to make one gallon of cider, which is pressed at a rate of 125 gallons per hour. He donates the 20

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

throughout the season, the taste of the cider can change slightly from week to week.

The farmer notes that of all the kinds of apples found on the farm, the McIntosh and Macoun varieties are most often used to produce the autumn drink.

He emphasizes that it’s important to use firm, ripe and clean apples free of any blemishes. It’s crucial that the apples not only have a good appearance, but also have an appealing flavor, so when they are blended with the other varieties, the cold fresh cider will

always taste “fresh, clean and crisp,” and never sour or bitter.

“We make it with love,” Medeiros quips, adding that Dartmouth Orchards has won several awards for its cider.

For more information, call (508) 9929337 or visit Dartmouth Orchards, 515 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, Mass.

Oktoberfest

Pumpkin cider bread While cider can be served cold or hot, with a cinnamon stick or infused with spices, and some cooks use it to baste baked chicken or pork chops, or as an ingredient in fall desserts and quickbreads.

Here’s a recipe for a delicious autumn snack that’s ideal with a cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients: 1 cup apple cider 1 cup canned pumpkin purée n 2 large eggs n 1/4 cup vegetable oil n 3/4 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar n 2 tbs. freshly grated orange zest n 2 cups all-purpose flour n 2 tsp. double-acting baking powder n 1/2 tsp. salt n 1/4 tsp. baking soda n 1/4 tsp. ground mace n 1/4 tsp. cinnamon n 1/8 tsp. ground cloves n n

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

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Directions: In a saucepan boil the cider until it is reduced to about 1/4 cup and let it cool. In a bowl whisk together well the pumpkin purée, the eggs, the oil, the brown sugar, the zest, and the reduced cider. Into the bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the salt, the baking soda, the mace, the cinnamon, and the cloves, add the walnuts, and stir the batter until it is just combined. Transfer the batter to a well-buttered 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan and bake the bread in the middle of a preheated 350°F oven for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan.

Recipe courtesy of Gourmet magazine

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The South Coast Insider / October 2012

21

FLASH Sneak peek at the Children’s Museum

T

he Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River is becoming an exciting reality.

On September 8th, the stately doors of the old “castle,” the Superior Court House on North Main Street opened to welcome about 700 kids and adults to the museum’s first event, Tiles, Tours, and Treats.

It was an opportunity to see what the new facility will offer, and a chance for the children to become part of the museum by painting a tile which will be permanently mounted on a wall in the “Water Room.”

In “Violet’s Room” kids banged drums, bringing to life a storybook called Violet’s Music, and elsewhere boys and girls created with Legos and viewed the “Dinosaur Room.”

The exhibit and other areas are being transformed through a partnership with Bristol Community College’s art students.

For information about memberships, birthday parties, and field trips, contact jo-ann@cmgfr.org or call 508-672-0033.

22

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

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The South Coast Insider / October 2012

23

MUSICAL SOUTH COAST

Music men

Armand Marchand and George Charbonneau

by DavID M. Prentiss

T

here might have been trouble in River City, but there’s never trouble around when George Charbonneau and Armand Marchand set out to bring another high quality musical theater production to the South Coast. They’ve been doing it for 40 years and show no signs of slowing down.

At New Bedford Festival Theatre they have collaborated on 34 fully staged professional musical productions, including Hairspray, Anything Goes, Guys and Dolls, Camelot, My Fair Lady, Beauty and the Beast, and Les Miserables, which won the Moss Hart Award as the Best Professional Production in New England in 2008.

Marchand, Executive Producer and Founder of Festival Theatre, says his job is not easy to define, “but I can tell you that for every difficulty I have to deal with, there is a pleasure beyond compare.”

Charbonneau, who serves as Artistic Director, has directed 20 productions and has performed in numerous shows.

24

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

School and community Both are former teachers at New Bedford High School, where they produced over 30 musicals with the NBHS Drama Club. Their 1989 production of My Fair Lady was honored with the Moss Hart Award presented by the New England Theatre Conference as the Best Production in the six state region.

Traditionally, there are significant differences between educational theatre in a high school program and a professional regional summer theatre like Festival Theatre.

Marchand explains that “in educational theatre the most important thing is exposing students to the performing arts both backstage and on. It was our experience that students began to grow with the responsibility of playing a role and having to face the challenge of pleasing an audience.

“In the same way students backstage rose to the many difficult tasks that had to be completed in order to mount a fully staged production. While not all students went onto a

career in theatre, all of them benefited from the values and knowledge gained beyond the classroom.”

And students are hungry for that opportunity. One year 300 students showed up to audition for The Wiz. As a professional regional summer theatre, Festival Theatre’s mission is to entertain the community with professional musical performances while preserving the legacy of the Broadway Musical and providing a valuable educational outreach to the region in the form of apprenticeships and internships.

They set a high bar Marchand and Charbonneau do this by bringing in nationally-recognized professionals to perform and work on their creative and design team, while also using local performers and support staff.

This past summer’s production of Hairspray included nineteen backstage apprentices and five interns who worked to insure the show’s success.

How many hours do Marchand and Charbonneau spend every year working on “the next show?” They laugh because technically they are retired.

“We take a vacation every year after the show (this year it’s Paris), but as soon as we get back, the work begins,” says Charbonneau.

“It’s a year-round, labor of love,” says Marchand, “and we are extremely fortunate to have the help of so many people in the Festival Theatre organization and the community who share our passion for great musical theatre.”

And the South Coast is extremely fortunate to have two musical heroes like Marchand and Charbonneau in our community.

When you consider what an important and joyful role music plays in people’s lives, and how much music we have around us day in and day out, it makes you appreciate the men and women who dedicate their lives to teaching and making music in our community. They offer their talent, inspiration and hard work to bring the joy of music into our lives. If you know a musical hero and would like to see their story told here, please email me at dprentiss@nbsymphony.org.

Noteworthy in October “Fiesta del Pacifico” - Tri-County Symphonic Band, Sunday, October 21, 3pm, Hoyt Hall, Tabor Academy, Marion. More information at www.tricountysymphonicband.org or (508) 291-7673.

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welcomes

Eleni Rethimiotakis, MD Family Medicine Dr. Rethimiotakis is now seeing patients at our Family Medicine Department 535 Faunce Corner Road, Dartmouth Entrance B. Dr. Rethimiotakis has practiced in the New Bedford area for more than 15 years. She is a graduate of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and completed a Family Practice residency at the University of Western Ontario. She is board certified by the American Board of Family Practice.

Welcoming new patients for primary care. To make an appointment, call 508-996-3991.

Andrius Zlabys & Friends – Concerts at the Point, Sunday, October 21, 3:00 pm, United Methodist Church, Westport Point.

More information at www.concertsatthepoint.org or pointconcerts@gmail.com.

“A Concert of Concertos” – New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, Saturday, October 27, 5pm, Wickenden Chapel, Marion.

More information at www.nbsymphony.org or (508) 999-6276.

If you have a “noteworthy” concert coming up, please send details to info@nbsymphony.org.

HAWTHORN MEDICAL ASSOCIATES 535 Faunce Corner Road | Dartmouth, MA 508-996-3991 | www.hawthornmed.com

The South Coast Insider / October 2012

25

THINGS TO DO

Step back in time and make a discovery

by Amy Dion

N

ow a month into the school year, I am left thinking of summer. With the daylight waning, who isn’t wistful for those extended summer days?

However, my thoughts are wandering to one day in particular. With my brother visiting from out of town, the family and I decided to send him off with a hearty breakfast from “The Barn” in Adamsville, RI. After some narratives about our youth, and a few stacks of pancakes and steak, egg and cheese wraps later, we said good-bye to my brother; homebound to Pennsylvania with the nourishment needed to sustain

26

himself, should he (inevitably) hit traffic on 95 in Connecticut.

While he took a right out of the parking lot, we took the left heading home.

As we curved around the bend where a now empty Gray’s General Store sits, we decided to pull into the parking lot of Gray’s Grist Mill, which is literally seconds from the Barn.

In my travels to and from Tiverton Four Corner’s I have always wanted to stop in at Gray’s and now that it has an attached Coffee Shop, “Gray’s Daily Grind,” I had to stop. Despite my recent coffee consumption at “The Barn,” I had an odd hankering for more.

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

In the parking lot at Gray’s Grist Mill, there is a sign that says “Gifts, Stoneground flour, Crafts and Museum.” On the left side of the building is the mill, which we headed to first.

A step back in time Inside are numerous artifacts, some of which date back 300 years. The sluice gate wheel, for instance, dates back to 1740. However, what intrigued my boys, 6 and 8, the most was the quern, a miniature stone hand grinder. And, since it comes with permission to “please try,” they jumped at the chance.

Now here is where a divergence from the well-beaten path becomes an opportunity to reinforce some of what my eight year old had just learned in second grade. According to the Massachusetts State Frameworks, second grade science discusses simple machines, so here we were at Gray’s Grist Mill on a Sunday in July, discussing his recollections of the wheel and axle.

While my 6 year old maybe seemed interested in what his older brother was saying, he was far more enamored by the actual opportunity to use the quern to grind the corn. Both took turns (most of the time) filling the circular cavity with dried corn, pretending they were bakers on a Food Network show.

They were busy milling their corn for at least 20 minutes and I think they could have continued, if I hadn’t returned with my iced coffee. All in all, we probably spent 30-45 minutes at Gray’s Grist Mill looking at all of the artifacts.

Learning objectives So now, the proverbial wheels in my head start turning. Understanding that my role as a parent places me in direct partnership with our schools and teachers, I started thinking of other material that I could link to this unscripted learning opportunity.

Besides discussing the idea behind simple machines, there is another conversation waiting, one that makes me think of a story I used to read to my boys when they were a little bit younger, but definitely one to consider after visiting Gray’s Grist Mill.

In “The Little Red Hen,” you’ll remember, the Red Hen attempts to make some bread. She has to start from scratch, everything from harvesting the wheat, to threshing it, to milling it, to baking it. Of course, the little red hen asks for help along the way, but no one wishes to help. It’s only when she asks for help eating the freshly made bread that everyone wants to participate.

While considering the Little Red Hen and her efforts to build

character, I thought of the story, “Pancake, Pancake”, by Eric Carle.

This story cleverly reflects part of the Massachusetts third grade social studies frameworks’ goal that children will be able to explain how artifacts from the past tell us about how ordinary people lived and reflect on how everyday life has changed over time.

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Real world lessons Our visit to Gray’s Grist Mill started conversations with my boys that had them thinking about what it took to make food in the 1800s versus all of the conveniences we have today.

While Robert Frost decided to stop by the woods on a snowy evening, we decided to stop by a working grist mill (with a working coffee shop). And taking the time to do this has made all the difference.

Short visits are also possible at any number of local historical societies, such as the Fall River Historical Society, which I may add, has an astonishing array of faux floral arrangements. Please ask the friendly staff to explain to you what these floral arrangements are made of—what both you and your child will discover will certainly have you discussing the everyday life of the Victorian Era. Battleship Cove and the New Bedford Whaling Museum are rewarding experiences for both you and your children; they don’t have to take all day, but can if you want them to.

More importantly, learning happens in daily life. It shouldn’t be a separate activity that only happens in school.

The learning connections that parents facilitate with their children reinforce what is being taught in school and, in turn, may then steep their learning in validity. At Open House or Parent’s Night this month or next, take a minute to find out what topics your child will be covering in school this year. If you’re thirsty for more, as I was for coffee, you can always find the Massachusetts Frameworks for all subjects and grade levels at www.doe.mass.edu/ frameworks/current.html

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The South Coast Insider / October 2012

27

THINGS TO DO

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charity gala Belly dancing, culture, and the energy of a great audience combine to raise funds October 13 What do hip shimmies and good works have to do with each other?

They are connected—at the “hip,” you might say—to The Helping Hips, a group of belly dance devotees who commits their sparkles, energy, and collective swaying hips each year to raise funds for a worthy organization.

In the past four years, The Helping Hips raised more than $23,000 for nonprofit organizations.

This year’s Belly Dance Charity Gala is scheduled for Saturday, October 13, 2012 at the Roseland Ballroom, 174 Broadway, in Taunton.

Proceeds will benefit The Family Coalition for Medically Involved Children, a nonprofit organization that assists families whose children are facing serious medical challenges.

Tickets are limited and on sale now.

This star-studded show features renowned professional dancers from all over the region, performing Arabic, Turkish, and fusion styles of belly dance. Some of the finest dancers in the country will be showcased, as

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

well as opportunities to enjoy hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and a silent auction with prizes to meet all interests.

Details about the show and all the dancers can be found at www.thehelpinghips.org.

The silent auction features highly desired items, such as sports paraphernalia and tickets, massage gift certificates, artwork, services, and more.

Show producers The Helping Hips includes belly dance fans, students, dancers, and volunteers.

Belly dance studio director, Aurel D’Agostino, of Ancient Art Studios in Berkley, MA founded The Helping Hips to organize and promote charitable acts with the belly dance students who studied with her.

In time, the group redefined itself to include dancers from all over New England who are now members of The Helping Hips.

Tickets are $40 through midnight October 11 or $50 after. To reserve tickets for pickup at the door, call 508822-6449 with your credit card or pay with PayPal at www.ancientartstudios.com

FLASH On September 8th, the Preservation Society of Fall River held their garden style “Summer Soiree” at Jim Souza’s New Boston Bakery with great success. Hors d’houvres, pastries, wine, live jazz, and the auction kept the bakery cooking past closing hours, and seems to bring more and more attendees each year that goes by. The Soiree raises funds for the Society’s non-profit projects which pro-actively promote Fall River’s potential Historic Preservation, including; Historic District Street Signs, Historic House Plaque Award, Anawan #6 Restoration and Fire Museum, Park Improvements, Awareness Campaign, and more. For more information visit www.fallriverpreservation.org

– Summer Soiree 2012 r ve Ri ll Fa of ty cie So ion at The Preserv

Children are winners in bike run

Minuteman HOG chapter officers (l-r) Steve Vieira, Andy Guay, Michelle Loranger, Executive Director of Children’s Advocacy Center of Bristol County and and Claude Gelinas.

D

artmouth’s Minuteman Harley Owners Group hosted a charity motorcycle ride on September 2 and raised $2,050 to benefit the Children’s Advocacy Center of Bristol County, a child and family-focused center bringing together law enforcement, Department of Children & Families, District Attorney’s Office and community-based agencies in the investigation, treatment, and prosecution of child abuse cases.

(l-r) New Bedford Detective Chris Cotter, Michelle Loranger (CAC ED), Chris Barboza, Eva Oliveira and Carolyn Suneson.

Over 150 riders traveled from Seekonk Speedway through back roads to Minuteman Harley Davidson in Dartmouth where they enjoyed food and refreshments donated by Restaurant 99 (Dartmouth), Coca-Cola and Stop & Shop (New Bedford) and Young’s Caterers (Seekonk). Raffle prizes were donated by many area businesses.

The South Coast Insider / October 2012

29

M

ore than 400 people turned out at The Kittansett Club of Marion on a glorious September evening for Summer’s Last Blast VIII, an end-of-summer celebration to benefit the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts. Over $93,000 was raised to help the Foundation’s efforts to improve the quality of life in Southeastern Massachusetts!

The evening featured fine food prepared

by The Kittansett Club staff, a raw bar by Cuttyhunk Shellfish Farms, and dancing to the R&B/Blues sound of Diane Blue. Many thanks to all who helped make this event such a success, including Honorary Chairs Bill & Mary Jean Blasdale, Paul & Donna Downey, Ken & Carole Fiola, Bill & Priscilla Kennedy, Gilbert & Timmy Shapiro, and Liz Waring.

Also, Gold Sponsors Joseph Barry Co. LLC,

30

BayCoast Bank, and Old North Advisors; Silver Sponsors Joseph Abboud Manufacturing, BankFive, Bristol County Savings Bank, Paul & Donna Downey, Hawthorn Medical Associates, The Herald News, Moore & Isherwood, June A. Smith & Ken A. Shwartz, SouthCoast Media Group, Stafford & Co. Insurance, and Waring-Sullivan Homes of Memorial Tribute; and the many Table Hosts.

Since 1995, area residents have been turning to the Community Foundation to make their philanthropic giving as effective as possible. CFSEMA is a public charity serving

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

PHOTOS: Hughesphoto • www.h ughesphoto.smugmug.com

FLASH

thousands of people who share a common concern—improving the quality of life in Southeastern Massachusetts.

Since 2005, the Community Foundation has distributed more than $14 million in grants and program support from 167 funds to humanitarian, educational and cultural organizations in the region. For more information, visit our website at www.cfsema.org, or our offices at 63 Union St., New Bedford, 508-996-8253.

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The South Coast Insider / October 2012

31

BUSINESS BUZZ

Andrew Orr started his farm and farm stand the same year he graduated from high school.

Market for success

by Sherri Mahoney-Battles

A key element to the success of any small business is a well-designed marketing strategy, and while most small business owners do not have the benefit of a marketing degree there are a few basic marketing strategies almost anyone can adopt.

One key marketing strategy is to determine if the product or service you are offering meets an unmet need. To satisfy an unmet need, your business either needs to offer something not currently available or something different than what is available.

A business can also fill an unmet need if the other businesses providing a product or service cannot meet the demand. When you write a business plan you analyze your competition in order to determine if there is a market segment available.

Before a retail location is launched, large corporations spend tremendous amounts of money conducting market analysis to see if the market is open or saturated. They also want to know if the lifestyle and economy of the surrounding area their venture.

Large corporations have learned through experience that the money invested in these studies outweighs 32

the expense of starting a venture which is not sustainable.

But even large corporations can make mistakes.

I remember years ago a Red Lobster opened in Hyannis right next to a long-established local seafood restaurant, Cooke’s Seafood. The corporation did not take into account the resistance the Cape Cod economy would have to a chain seafood restaurant. Even the tourists on Cape Cod know that you go there for fresh seafood, and The Red Lobster could not compete. It was promptly shut down and replaced by an Olive Garden— which continues to thrive.

Meeting a need To meet an unmet need there must be an opening or opportunity for your proposed business. If you are proposing a coffee shop in an area already saturated by successful coffee shops,

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

your chance of succeeding are greatly reduced.

Of course, you can still meet an unmet need if the product you are proposing differs or is unique from your competitors.

A coffee shop in Dartmouth, Mirasol’s, opened about seven years ago almost directly across the street from a Dunkin Donuts, close to UMass Dartmouth. They both sell coffee, but they attract customers from two different markets.

Mirasol’s brews an artisan custom brewed coffee and specialty coffee beverages along with freshly prepared breakfast and lunch items made to order. They offer comfortable seating, and wi-fi connections It’s a popular hangout for college students and working adults. Mirasol’s is proof positive that not everyone “runs on Dunkin.”

Creatures of habit Another key component to consider is your ability to make your product or service a habit. Where people chose to spend their money is often driven by habit; they patronize the same places repeatedly. As we all know, habits are much easier to make than they are to break.

The key then is to provide a product or service that has the potential to become habit-forming.

Most small businesses fail to do this because they lack consistency. To create a habit you need to consistently provide the same product that meets or exceeds customers’ expectations.

You also need to make the product or service convenient and easy to access.

Once their habit is formed, people will keep them unless the product changes or is difficult to access.

People take comfort in ease and consistency.

Andrew Orr started his farm and farm stand in Westport in 2007 the same year he graduated from high school. That year several older farmers went out of business and the fact that someone so young had such a keen interest in farming was big news.

While most of Andrew’s classmates were filling out FAFSA forms and taking out student loans, Andrew was building a business and making a living.

My own small scale farming attempts have taught me that farming is hard work, and I admired this young man’s entrepreneurial spirit. I was especially thrilled when he became a client, and over the last five years I’ve had the pleasure of watching him grow his business.

I recently caught up with Andrew at his farm, and we talked about some of his plans for the future and how he’s managed to get where he is today.

Beneath this young man’s reserved demeanor is a savvy businessman.

Careful analysis In 2007, when he started his farm he knew that older farmers closing their farm stands meant that there was an unmet need in town for someone to take their place. The land he purchased had been previously farmed and he replaced the old farm stand

with his own, taking advantage of an already established client base.

Andrew knows his customers appreciate that his produce is fresh and locally grown. Many of them have expressed concerns about the use of pesticides, and he is working towards making his farm as organic as possible. He recognizes the hazards chemicals pose to our environment, and he says that they are expensive, severely reducing his profit.

Andrew enjoys learning about innovations in farming, and this year he discovered strobe lights that severely hampered the deer activity in his fields.

He recently negotiated a deal with a local landowner that gave him an additional six acres for planting crops.

As a result he’s able to grow more crops, and the landowner is thrilled to have his land being farmed.

We talked about the seasonality of his business, and his eyes light up when he talks about some of his ideas on how to generate revenues during his off-season. This year he is raising fifty turkeys, and he’s told his customers that they’ll be especially sweet since he’s raising them on a diet of his own sweet corn and field greens.

Andrew also has plans to sell Christmas trees and wreaths, but he’s still researching the viability of this option and he won’t move forward until he has a sound plan that predicts profitability.

Andrew has no formal marketing training, but almost without realizing it he’s developed a sound marketing plan. When other farmers were closing their stands Andrew recognized a need for a farm which offered fresh local produce. His stand is in a highly trafficked area, easily accessible, and the products are consistently fresh.

For many customers a trip to Orr’s Farm Stand for beautiful flowers and produce is one habit no one wants to break.

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The South Coast Insider / October 2012

33

REGIONAL NEWS UPDATE

East Freetown

addresses traffic woes

by Paul Mission Director of Highway Planning at SRPEDD

W

hen traveling through East Freetown, motorists will encounter an intersection that is relatively new to southeastern Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is constructing a modern roundabout at the intersection of Chase Road, County Road and Mason Street. Residents who have dealt with safety issues and traffic congestion at this intersection feel this is long overdue.

Years ago, the board of Selectmen requested a study of the intersection by the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD), to determine if traffic signals should be installed.

SRPEDD conducted a “Signal Warrants Analysis” on two separate

34

occasions to justify traffic lights, but found that signals did not meet the required thresholds. An “all-way stop” control was also considered that would place stop signs at every approach, but analysis concluded that vehicle speed and inadequate sight distance on County Road would worsen safety at the intersection.

SRPEDD ultimately recommended the roundabout to address safety and traffic concerns.

It’s not a rotary Residents questioned this new type of traffic control and asked, “Why build a rotary when they don’t work elsewhere?” The issue here is that this is a Roundabout, not a Rotary, and there is a very big difference.

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

Most rotaries built in the 1940s were designed for large amounts of traffic at speeds greater than 40 miles per hour.

Roundabouts are smaller than the rotaries on Route 44 in Middleborough or at the Bourne Bridge on Cape Cod. Roundabouts are designed for lower traffic volumes with a small center circle to reduce speed to 25 mph or less, while maintaining a safe and continuous traffic flow.

Roundabouts address problems typically found at signalized and stop controlled intersections by improving sight distance, reducing the number and

severity of vehicle crashes, and minimizing the traffic delay.

Improved safety Studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concluded that when roundabouts replace signalized or stop sign intersections, they have 90% less fatal or severe injury crashes, 40% less pedestrian crashes and 39% less overall crashes. Roundabouts also save an estimated $5,000 annually in community expense because they do not require electricity as with traffic lights.

Large trucks are accommodated in a roundabout, but must travel at a slow-

Bicyclists can ride through the roundabout or cross at a crosswalk.

When riding through the roundabout, bicyclists must obey the same rules as motorists and should always use hand signals.

For many years, this intersection has been known as Veteran’s Square; a memorial honoring local veterans who were killed in action during WWII. As part of this project, the memorial was relocated with the monuments and flags still proudly overlooking the new roundabout.

The roundabout itself will be dedicated to Navy Petty Officer Second Class Tyler J. Trahan of Freetown who

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A roundabout improves the safety for all users, including pedestrians and bicyclists. er speed and keep wide of the center circle. A textured pavement around the central circle island called a “truck apron” allows a truck’s rear wheels to cross and complete a turn while discouraging use by smaller vehicles.

As with intersections, large vehicles need extra space for turning and drivers should stay clear of these vehicles within the roundabout.

A roundabout improves the safety for all users, including pedestrians and bicyclists.

Roundabouts are designed with crosswalks that are set back on all approaches and allow motorists to yield to pedestrians before entering the roundabout. When using the crosswalk, pedestrians must watch for traffic and cross only when it is safe.

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made the ultimate sacrifice serving our country in Iraq. Tyler grew up near this location and his parents have been advocating for safety improvements at this intersection for several years.

Construction began in 2011 and is expected to be completed by October 2012. Funding was provided by MassDOT and the Federal Highway Administration.

SRPEDD is currently developing a safety video on using the roundabout for area residents. The video will be shown on local cable television and SRPEDD’s “You Tube” page on the internet. For more information on roundabouts, transportation and SRPEDD, please visit www.srpedd.org.

Four simple roundabout rules 1. Approach at a slower speed (20 mph or less); 2. Yield to vehicles within the roundabout, they have the right of way;

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The South Coast Insider / October 2012

35

BUSINESS BUZZ

Balance your business

by Jay Pateakos

For the most part, very few people know what it takes to start and keep a business running.

It’s really no one’s fault at all, but as it is with many things in life, sometimes it’s best to think about how life on the other side can be, just to gain some perspective on your own life.

You arrive to pick up your pizza order and you pay for it. You’re done. But do you ever wonder what time the crew came in this morning? How many hours does that pizza spinner work in a day? How is the owner dealing with rising food costs? Is he even close to being in the black?

You walk into a floral store. The smell…the colors. But how many plants did they have to throw away which were beyond saving? How are they making ends meet? Is this weekend going to make or break them?

How many community organizations have hit them up for donations?

From the outside, your quick look tells you everything is ok.

But owning your own business is just about the most difficult thing there is. Constant worry over how to 36

pay the bills, how to hire trustworthy people, how to run a successful business while also trying to have a family life; dealing with people who don’t pay for services you rendered.

I was a business owner for only a year. We established an English Muffin company in New Bedford to compete with the Thomas’ brand. We can all see how that turned out.

In the process, I learned much about the sacrifices business owners make, and the mistakes that can cripple a business. We made plenty of mistakes, and so we—and hundreds of thousands of other businesses—became “business closure” statistics.

My first child was on the way when my business folded, so I never had to sacrifice time with my kids for my business. I was lucky; I don’t know how I would have done it, or how people do it now. Just think about working 7 am to 10 pm every day, seven days a week, when you have small children?

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

Balancing business and life “It’s all about work/life balance.

You see families fall apart because of businesses and you see businesses fall apart because of families,” said Melinda Ailes, senior counselor at the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC). “It’s really, really hard.”

Ailes said there’s a myth that being a business owner somehow gives you more control over your hours as opposed to someone who just punches a clock.

“That’s a fallacy,” Ailes noted. “Your business will consume all of your time.”

MSBDC Senior Business Advisor Cliff Robbins has just about seen it all in the hundreds upon hundreds of businesses he’s counseled from Cape Cod to Fall River and beyond. A few weeks ago he put together a list of the “7 Reasons Why Businesses Fail.”

1) Owners concentrating on the technical, rather than the strategic work at hand; 2) Poor market segmentation, targeting and/or strategy; 3) Competition or lack of market knowledge; 4) Lack of financial planning and review; 5) Lack of management & systems; 6) Failure to establish and/or communicate vision, mission/purpose, values/principles or goals; 7) Inadequate capitalization.

Threading through all these is the lack of balance all business owners must deal with. How to have a life balance and run a successful business?

MSBDC to SCORE and others across the state. These groups can help you move from the initial idea to the business plan, capitalization ideas, government contracting, marketing tips and much more. Help is there and it’s free.

“Too many people go into their own small business because they have some technical skill; they know how to write software, or wire a house, or cook,” said Robbins. “But they don’t know how to manage a business, the finances, the staff, the marketing and sales, the client relationships, et al.”

“People say to me, ‘I’m sick of working for corporate America: Too many hours. I want a balanced life. I want my own business,’” said Robbins.

“Balance? OK, there’s 24 hours in a day; pick the 12 you’re willing to work,

Next time you go into a small business—a bakery, a sandwich shop, a dry cleaner or any others, ask them when was their last vacation.

Many struggle with these seven difficulties, and as Ailes has indicated, fail at one of them.

Many times, if they had just reached out for advice, they could have been saved.

According to the SBA, only about half of all businesses survive five years and only one-third through ten years. In 2009, there were 518,500 businesses opened in the US and a total of 680,716 closed. Business bankruptcies for 2011 stood at 48,000 down from 60,000 each of the two years prior.

Start by seeking help If there was any advice I would give to someone thinking of owning their own business, go get help early on, long before your business is open.

There is counseling available, from

seven days every week.”

Ailes said MSBDC counsels entrepreneurs about putting down the cell phone and getting away from the computer to think about present and future plans for the business – at least one to two hours per week. Ailes said business owners need time to think, whether it’s a long walk or meditation, to get them away from the grind and find a better perspective.

Next time you go into a small business—a bakery, a sandwich shop, a dry cleaner or any others, ask them when was their last vacation. When was the last time they were able to go for a walk to think? How many family parties have they missed?

Then buy an extra item and hope they someday find the balance that is likely eluding them.

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The South Coast Insider / October 2012

37

BOOK PICKS

By Magoo Gelehrter Courtesy of Baker Books – www.bakerbooks.net

Now that Baker Books and our used bookshop Remains to Be Seen has finally relocated to our new home at the former State Fruit building at 2 McCabe Street just off Rockdale Avenue in Dartmouth, there are more choices than ever in reading materials, but this month we’re sticking to the novels everyone who has the time will want to read.

Remains To Be Seen is filled to the rafters with fiction, history and tons of local interest with original pamphlets, books and documents dating back centuries. Come by and see for yourself!

These are great choices for book discussion groups or just a solitary read on your own. between old ways and new, eventually becoming the first Native American graduate of Harvard College. Inspired by a true story and narrated by the irresistible Bethia, Caleb’s Crossing brilliantly captures the triumphs and turmoil of two brave, openhearted spirits who risk everything in a search for knowledge at a time of superstition and ignorance.

CALEB’S CROSSING

by Geraldine Brooks Penguin $16 paperback Caleb’s Crossing is a New York Times bestselling tale of passion and belief, magic and adventure from the Pulitzer Prize—winning author Geraldine Brooks. Bethia Mayfield is a restless and curious young woman growing up in Martha’s vineyard in the 1660s amid a small band of pioneering English Puritans. At age twelve, she meets Caleb, the young son of a chieftain, and the two forge a secret bond that draws each into the alien world of the other. Bethia’s father is a Calvinist minister who seeks to convert the native Wampanoag, and Caleb becomes a prize in the contest

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of Witches became the “it” book of early 2011, bringing Deborah Harkness into the spotlight. In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and the descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript deep in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont. Harkness has created a universe to rival those of Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, and Elizabeth Kostova, and she adds a scholar’s depth to this riveting story of magic and suspense. And the is just the first in a trilogy.

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October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

For the Kellehers, Maine is a place where children run in packs, showers are taken outdoors, and old Irish songs are sung around a piano. As three generations of women arrive at the family’s beach house, each brings her own hopes and fears. Maggie is thirty-two and pregnant, waiting for the perfect moment to tell her imperfect boyfriend the news; Ann Marie, a Kelleher by marriage, is channeling her domestic frustration into a dollhouse obsession and an ill-advised

crush; Kathleen, the black sheep, never wanted to set foot in the cottage again; and Alice, the matriarch at the center of it all, would trade every floorboard for a chance to undo the events of one night, long ago.

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These five are forced to confront their deepest hopes, anxieties, and secrets. Written with boundless intelligence and filled with the tenderness of youth, “The Art of Fielding is mere baseball fiction the way Moby Dick is just a fish story” (Nicholas Dawidoff).

It is an expansive, warmhearted novel about ambition and its limits, about family and friendship and love, and about commitment to oneself and to others.

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Jane Clarke leads a simple yet rich life in the small village of Satucket on Cape Cod. The vibrant scent of the ocean breeze, the stark beauty of the dunes, the stillness of the millpond are among the daily joys she treasures.

Her days are full attending to her father’s needs, minding her younger siblings, working with the local midwife. But at twenty-two, Jane knows she will be expected to move out of her father’s home and start a household of her own.

But when Jane witnesses British soldiers killing five colonists on a cold March evening in 1770, an event now dubbed “the Boston Massacre,” she must question seeming truths and face one of the most difficult choices of her life, alone, except for two people who continue to stand by her, her grandparents.

Grippingly rendered, filled with some of the lesser known but most influential figures of America’s struggle for independence such as John and Samuel Adams, Henry Knox, James Otis, The Rebellion of Jane Clarke is a compelling story of one woman’s struggle to find her own place and leave her own mark on a new country.

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The South Coast Insider / October 2012

39

WINE NOTES

Try a Tempranillo

by Alton Long

B

y the end of the 20th century, Tempranillo was being produced in most southern wine regions in Europe and North America, and in Mexico, South America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Tempranillo is often blended with in both Europe and the U.S with other grape varieties too numerous to list. But the strong backbone of the Tempranillo prevails.

A well made Tempranillo will usually have the complex flavors of berries, plum, tobacco, vanilla, leather and herb. This characteristic along with proper oak aging has resulted in a very tasty and popular red wine.

You may have already had some good Spanish wine made with Tempranillo. It is used as the primary basis for many of the great red wines blends from the Rioja region of Spain.

But the labels for these wines seldom have Tempranillo on the front label, though it is recently being listed on the back label as the quality of this grape is finally being recognized.

Just to show you how good a Tempranillo can be, check out the Torres Coronas 2004 Tempranillo Catalunya that runs about $15. It came in second in an International wine contest.

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October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

The name Tempranillo is derived from the Spanish word temprano implying that it is an “early� ripening grape; it ripens several weeks earlier than most Spanish red grapes.

Tempranillo has been grown on the Iberian Peninsula since the time of Phoenician settlements. It was also grown in California in the early 20th century for use as a blend in jug wines.

Tempranillo has not been entered in many of the U.S wine competitions, but so far it has been well received by wine consumers and can now be found in most good wine shops.

The “Black Hat” Scribner Bend Vineyards in California has released their 2008 “Black Hat” Tempranillo that runs about $16. The producer claims that it “is full of vanilla, cranberry, plum spice and dark berry flavors and has a captivating long, soft, lingering finish,” and that it “has a velvety tannic structure and fruit forward nature.”

They also say that their Tempranillo “invites even those that shy away from red wines to sip and enjoy.” It pairs well with duck, venison, barbequed meats, tapas or fajitas.

But in Spain, some of the Tempranillo based wines are quite complex, and can be more expensive.

For example, Muga Rioja Reserva 2005, which runs about $36, is from the Spanish region of Rioja. It is produced by one of the most revered houses in this region. They have been producing classic Spanish wines that have stood the test of time.

This blend is 70 percent Tempranillo, 20 percent Garnacha and the last 10 percent Mazuelo and Graciano. They age it for six months in wood vats followed by two years in French and American oak.

It has a rich ruby purple color, and on the palate the flavors of black cherry, plum, earth, tobacco and smoky spice are revealed through an excellent tannic structure, which gives the wine depth and weight.

It has a long and balanced, firm finish. The tannins in this wine when will help in its evolution for the next ten years, reaching its peak in about 2020.

A tradition in stone and oak Bodegas Muga is located in the historical Barrio de La Estación (railway station district) in Haro. The facilities (270,000 square foot) are two centuries old, built mainly of stone and

oak. In fact, oak is paramount in the winery. They use no steel or glass until the wine goes in the bottle. Oak containers are used for every step in their winemaking process, They have 200 large oak vats as well as 14,000 oak barrels, made out from French oak (Allier, Tronçais or Jupilles), American, Hungarian, Russian, and even a small consignment of Spanish oak. They believe using the many various types of oak makes the wine have a more complex taste.

It is interesting to note that there has been more interest by some of the smaller wineries in particular types of oak barrels for aging wine. For example, barrels are made from 150 to 200 year-old trees in Jupilles, France. They provide some of the most consistently tight-grained oak of any French forest.

Often the wine label will reference the the special types of oak used.

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Divine with age The Spanish Tempranillos tend to have a long life. While they can be interesting when they are released, after 5 to 10 years in a cellar, (or some cool dark place) they can become absolutely divine.

They appear to last 30 to perhaps even 40 years before they begin to seriously fade. Part of the reason that this wine may keep so well is may be the level of alcohol. Many are 13 percent and some have even higher percentages.

One very fine Tempranillo that is currently still available is that produce

by Ercavio. The 2006 vintage has 13.5 percent alcohol. It prides itself in that it is 100 percent Tempranillo. It was aged at least six months in new oak and, it has not been filtered. While it is drinkable now, it should continue to improve for at least another five to ten years.

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The South Coast Insider / October 2012

41

CURRENT ISSUES

Women still not equal

by Eliza bet

h Morse Re

ad

When President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act in 1963, women were being paid only 60% as much as their male co-workers for the exact same job. A lot has changed in the fifty years since then, but the deck is still stacked against women.

Nationwide now, women still earn only 80 cents for the exact same job men get paid a dollar.

And the gap is even worse for minority women: for every dollar earned by a white, non-Hispanic man, an African-American women earns only $.62, and an Hispanic woman only $.52 for the same job.

In 2009, Pres. Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, so clearly the issue of income disparity still hasn’t been resolved since the days of Camelot.

A persistent disparity Why have legislative efforts to level the paycheck playing field failed to achieve income parity for women?

That question itself holds the answer—you can’t legislate equality any more than you can change the laws of gravity.

There are many underlying cultural factors that can’t be changed by fiat— and those are the real reasons why it will take generations before women’s 42

paychecks and lifetime earnings catch up with men’s.

The breadwinner Let’s start with the deeply-entrenched attitude that it is the man’s job to provide the financial support for his family. In some cultural circles, it is considered shameful if a man needs his wife to work outside the home in order to make ends meet. It takes a lot more than a new law to erase those taboos.

Yes, women flooded the workplace during the 1940s, but even Rosie the Riveter stepped back into the kitchen when the war was over. And during the post-WWII era, a family could live comfortably on one paycheck.

Not so since then, though—rising expectations and consumerism demanded that both parents work outside the home. Woman increasingly took over lower-paying jobs in the public sector, in teaching and in health care to “help pay for the extras,” rather than to pursue a high-paying

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

professional position or physically demanding job in manufacturing and the trades.

Most men shunned clerical or service jobs and women filled that vacuum. So, it’s comparing apples to oranges when trying to point out income/earnings parity based on hours worked each week. There are fewer female construction workers or male nurses on which to make a statistically-valid comparison.

Absent role models Hiring barriers may have fallen in the past few decades and more women are entering the traditionally male career paths, but female mentors and role models are still rare. When was the last time you saw a truck with “Johnson and Daughters Plumbing, Inc.” printed on the outside? Or a female electrical engineer or financial analyst at the high school’s career day?

Pioneering female role models like Sally Ride are few and far between.

The gorilla in the room No one wants to recognize that a woman’s paycheck and earning power has become increasingly significant as more and more American children grow up in families headed by single mothers.

One in four American children is now being raised by single parents— that’s more than 20 million children.

In 2011, 12 million households were headed by single custodial parents— 82% of whom were women.

According to government statistics, half of single-mother families had annual incomes of less than $25,000 and only one third received child support (averaging $300/month). Forty percent of families headed by a single mother live in poverty (compared with only 9% of married couple families) and 70% of homeless families are headed by single mothers. And 1.2 million single custodial mothers were unemployed last year.

So, an entire generation of American children is being jeopardized because of their mothers’ earning potential and job opportunities (or lack thereof).

worker’s earning of under $36K, choosing a major in college is obviously critical, especially for single mothers.

Restricted choices Back in the day when sending a daughter to college was a novelty, girls were steered toward fields they could “fall back on” during their child-bearing years—taking time out to raise children was a given, and entering a career where seniority and longevity determined the paycheck trajectory was a gamble.

Back then, employers were often reluctant, consciously or not, to invest in a brilliant young female computer scientist or cancer researcher who might be dropping off the fast track every few years.

It was not until the Supreme Court granted women voting rights in 1920

Supreme Court in 1973, but a woman’s reproductive rights is still a hot topic going into the November 2012 elections.

And the Equal Rights Amendment, first written in 1921 and finally passed

by Congress in 1972, has failed to be ratified by the mandatory 38 states to become the 28th amendment of the U.S. Constitution even now.

It may well be unfair, illogical and counter-productive for society as a whole, but all of the above facts are real.

America did not become “post-racial” when Barack Obama was elected president—in our everyday 21st century life, we are still not “color-blind” or gender-neutral or more tolerant of anyone who doesn’t look, think or behave like those at the top of the socio-political food chain.

And when times are tough economically or politically, we’re even

Women may make up 51% but they still of the popula struggle aga in st the same in tion, prejudices e gr ncountered by minoritie ained s.

Children in poverty Last year in Massachusetts, women made up two-thirds of all workers making minimum wage or less fulltime year-round, earning below the poverty line for a family of three.

The irony is that girls have overtaken boys in academic achievement and higher education graduation rates. In 2007, women earned close to 70% of all associate’s and 60% of bachelor’s degrees, and the growing majority of advanced degrees. But men still dominate with the percentage of degrees in high-paying career fields.

Whether because of cultural prejudices or lack of encouragement, girls are over-represented in fields that won’t pay as well over their lifetimes—social services, the arts and humanities, teaching—instead of more lucrative career paths in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).

And when the median annual earnings for a STEM job is $41-$72K, compared with the median female

(the 19th amendment to the Constitution) did women have a voice in the political arena—but it wasn’t until 2008 that a viable female candidate (Hillary Clinton) ran for the presidency.

In the heyday of the 1960s and 1970s, when the feminist movement first bloomed, there was a slew of federal legislation and Supreme Court rulings that aimed to strike down gender discrimination in the workplace, in schools, and in many other facets of life.

Progress on the slow track Both Title VII and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on sex—but only this summer were women—and only two very famous women—finally invited to be members at the Augusta National Golf Club.

Women still cannot serve in all combat positions in the military. Roe v.

Wade was ruled constitutional by the

more resistant to abiding by the Golden Rule.

Wasting our potential Women may make up 51% of the population, but they still struggle against the same ingrained prejudices encountered by minorities.

And seeing as those prejudices are based on patriarchal socio-political attitudes going back millennia, not just centuries or decades, it will require constant vigilance, litigation and further legislation before the glass ceiling is finally cracked and American women take their place as equals alongside men in the marketplace, in the churches, in politics and every other sector of society.

You may have come a long way, baby —but you’ve still got a long way to go.

May it all happen for my daughter.

The South Coast Insider / October 2012

43

CURRENT ISSUES

Arses and elections

by Paul Letendre

I was mulling around the Brown Bookstore in Providence and came across a book titled, Ascent of the A-Word: Assholism, the First Sixty Years by Geoffrey Nunberg. Nunberg is a linguist and former chair of the Usage Panel of the American Heritage Dictionary.

Nunberg explains that because the a-word is so often used in an emotionally charged burst, “for that very reason, (it has)—it turns out—precise meaning, and... reflects our genuine attitudes, rather than what we think our attitudes should be.”

Arsehole: a British or Australian vulgarity, the American variant is Asshole. The word is mainly used generally to describe people who are viewed as incompetent or detestable.

Arsehole is not a synonym for “jerk.”

A jerk can be lovable; a jerk is not as self-consumed as an arsehole.

The word’s roots can be traced back 1,500 years and more to the Old English word for “rump,” and earlier still to the Germanic ars (buttock). It has cousins in ancient middle eastern languages.

few entitled supporters, rather than as a boulevard for the masses. Yes, sometimes it is proper to be vulgar.

It is written somewhere in the laws of probability that whenever there are 100 humans gathered in any group, that there will be 3.7 certified arseholes in that gathering.

The exceptions are for groups of politicians and car salespeople, where the numbers are much higher. These 3.7 certified jerks will make more noise and cause more disharmony, confusion, discomfort and heartburn than the other 96.3 humans combined.

The political connection

Why do they do it?

I’ll use the Brit version (arse): it seems less vulgar and we will be discussing elected officials …some of whom we refer to as “honorable.”

Yes, the political scene has gotten pretty vulgar. Some of these elected “honorables” even attempt to use their positions as an avenue of access for a

The typical arsehole thrives on situations where they have little or nothing to lose and their antagonist has everything to lose. They prefer an “I win —you lose” situation to a “win-win” one. They love being “the man.”

Think Donald Trump (perhaps the prototypical arsehole) in The

44

October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

Apprentice. He is in the power position, he’s the man. Arseholes live for that.

We know who the certified ones are.

Often they are bosses. Certifieds love the “boss” title for the same reasons: situations where they have nothing to lose and the other person does. “Do this or you don’t get a bonus…” Like elected office, the boss position offers great opportunities to hone arsehole skills.

Why do arseholes flock to politics?

An arsehole is almost always a gifted person with more than a modicum of physical attractiveness, intelligence and personal grace. They should be grateful, but these gifts have led them to feel superior and entitled. Their natural inclination is to gravitate to situations that validate those feelings.

Yes, politics is a natural for them.

During the late 80s and 90s, in

business, there was a move to make leaders more “emotionally intelligent.”

Arseholes are very sensitive to feelings, but it’s their own feelings and not anyone else’s that they are sensitive to. Many of them couldn’t deal with this “emotional intelligence” thing that business was pushing on them. Lots of them changed their business focus to politics.

A caveat By far, the great majority of politicians aren’t arseholes, but a great amount of media time is dedicated to arsehole politicians. These folks know how to garner attention, and of course a lot of people are likely to assume that the whole flock is of the same feather.

Fear, anger, vulgarity I think that it’s safe to say that the current arsehole rate in Washington is higher than 3.7%. There is a lot of fear mongering going on. Fear generates anger. Anger smothers reason. Once reason gets smothered, it becomes pretty easy to influence voters.

It’s difficult to differentiate a lie from the truth when there seems to be so much of the former and the liars getting so much media attention and creating more confusion about who is deliberately confusing the issues…

Somewhere in the jumble are some truths, but good luck finding them.

Minister. If a compromise can’t be reached, an untimely election can result. There is great pressure on the major parties to compromise with lesser parties to resolve differences and win majorities.

One-party blockade In the U.S., we have a two party system. This system has served us well, but we are at a fork in the road. The Republicans, who lost the presidency in 2008, but won a majority in the House of Representatives in 2010, have effectively emulated parliamen-

It’s impossible to remove all of the arseholes.

It is our duty though, to elect reasonable, somewhat cooperative people to positions of power.

Parliamentary compromise I lived in Canada for a few years.

They have a parliamentary version of democratic government. Rather than have an elected President, they have a Prime Minister who is the leader of the party that wins a majority of seats in the Parliament. If we had their system of government, John Boehner would be the Prime Minister (President).

Their system also differs in that it is made up of six or seven different political parties. If no one party wins 50% of the seats, then the Prime Minister job is up for grabs.

The top parties make concessions with the smaller contingents until they get enough votes to back a Prime

Our system of government depends on the two sides having serious discussions and arriving at compromises. This hasn’t been happening.

Congressional gridlock has become the rule, not the exception.

Some congressional figures flourish in this type of “I-win-you lose” situation. “Cooperation” is not in their vocabulary. When these politicians explain the gridlock to the voters they lie about it, point fingers in the other direction, and invariably, they paint a confusing and emotionally charged picture that first induces fear; then anger.

Reason gets smothered by fear and anger and in the confusion, arseholes get elected and re-elected to the power seats.

Like good marketing people, politicians are good at manipulating perception. In political elections perception is reality.

A former President once said that, “Democracy is an honorable enterprise that advances the public interest.

It’s not a blood sport.”

Both parties have more than their fair share of arseholes. Both sides will use the fear, anger and confusion tactics. During this election, regardless of what side that you are on, when you feel that emotional charge in your gut…recognize that you are falling into an arsehole trap.

Step out of it tary style politics and blocked most of the legislation that the President and the Democrats have tried to pass.

When they can’t block with votes, they use the filibuster.

With the way that our two-party government works, a parliamentary block pretty much renders the government dysfunctional (for example, no federal budget).

It also creates a very dangerous precedent. If the Democrats lose the Presidency and win the House or Senate, and if they decide to retaliate and do a similar block, then sooner or later things are going to come to a screeching halt.

Your brain has more reasoning power than your gut does. Take stock of what is reasonable, qualify what you are feeling in your gut, and then make your decision.

It’s impossible to remove all of the arseholes. It is our duty though, to elect reasonable, somewhat cooperative people to positions of power. Perhaps we can get that rate to below 10% and get our system of governing back on track.

Leave your thoughts on the subject on www.coastalmags.com or send them to editor@coastalmags.com.

The South Coast Insider / October 2012

45

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Best and worst treats

BY Elizabeth Morse Read

The custom of handing out candy on Hallowe’en traces its roots back to the ancient Celtic custom of leaving out sweets to distract the wandering spirits of the dead on the night before November 1 (Samhain), the Celtic New Year’s Day. But “trick-or-treating” in America as we know it today only became a nation-wide phenomenon after World War II. Homemade cookies, popcorn balls, fudge, and caramel apples were staple offerings in the 1950s, along with cider and doughnuts.

But when rumors of tainted or poisoned Hallowe’en treats spread in the 1970s, parents warned their children not to accept or eat anything homemade or unwrapped—and the food industry gladly stepped in, mass-producing small, pre-packaged candy bars and Tootsie Rolls, as well as individually-wrapped lollipops, bubblegum and jelly beans.

Some parents tried to counter those “sugar high” offerings by giving out granola bars, packets of microwaveable popcorn, juice boxes, raisins, boxes of crayons, Hallowe’en-themed party favors—and even toothbrushes!

Almost all parents routinely sift through bags of “loot” to discard anything that’s homemade, unwrapped or which presents a choking hazard (like giant gumballs) or allergy risk (like peanuts).

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October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

cans spend in excess of $2 billion each year buying it. And chew on this – the average plastic Jack-o-lantern candy bucket holds about 250 pieces of candy, which translates into about three pounds of sugar or 9,000 calories!

And just in case you’re wondering what to hand out (or not) this Hallowe’en, here’s the Huffington Post’s recommendations:

Top 10 favorite Hallowe’en treats Kit Kat Starbursts n Twix n Pop Rocks n Butterfinger n Snickers n Nerds n Sour Patch Kids n Reese’s Cups n Nestle’s Crunch n n

Top 10 least favorite Hallowe’en treats??

Smarties Raisins n pencils n Good & Plenty n candy corn n Dots n Now & Later n hard candy n flavored Tootsie Rolls n bubblegum n n

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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.

Taurus - Patience is not your virtue, but it does have its pay off. Love and money seem to shower upon you this month, so soak it in.

Gemini - Don’t let your emotions get to you, bury yourself in work this month.

Focus on financial growth and practical decisions as this is the time that you need to make your mark.

Capricorn - Those Capricorns who leap without hesitation will find themselves getting ahead. You have a lot of possibilities if you dare. Do it, you won’t regret it.

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Aquarius - Stop going back to dead end situations. Old relationships and habits may be comfortable, but will leave you empty and comatose.

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Sagittarius - Now that the summer parties are over, it’s time for you to buckle down and to apply as much responsibility as you can. If your carefree ways continue major disruptions are right around the corner.

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508.677.9234

October 11, 2012 2:00-6:00 pm

Business After Hours 4:30-6:00pm

Holiday Inn-Taunton 700 Myles Standish Boulevard (Exit 9 off of Route 495)

Expand your customer base!

Effective networking opportunities!

FREE Admission & refreshments!

COST-EFFECTIVE EXHIBITOR RATES!

For more information call (508) 824-4068

www.tauntonareachamber.org Sponsors: Bridgewater Savings Bank and TMLP Online

www.BristolPacific.com

Attention: Homeowners/Contractors • Reinforced concrete septic tanks (1,000-10,000 gallon capacity) • Leaching chambers • Landscaping wall blocks & manholes • Manufactured & delivered brick face, decorative stone, and plain concrete pre-cast steps (1-8 steps) (different styles available 4' to 8' wide) • Riser/covers to build-up your septic covers • Pre-cast sonatubes

23 Alberto Drive • Westport, MA

508-678-4666

www.bristolcountyprecast.webs.com

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October 2012 / The South Coast Insider

In Office MRI & Physical Therapy Specializing in:

• Robotic Arm Assisted Procedures • Joint Replacement Surgery • Orthopedic Surgery • Hand Surgery

(508) 646-9525

• Arthroscopic Surgery • Pediatric Orthopedics • Sports Medicine

www.coastal-orthopaedics.com

Dr. David W. Bullis Dr. Jerald W. Katz Dr. Richard W. Smith

Dr. David M. Boland Dr. Brad E. Green Dr. George J. Raukar

Dr. Jeffrey I. Gassman Dr. Kevin N. Mabie Dr. James M. Worthington

We guarantee you an appointment this week and maybe even today!

Jewelry Makeover #2 second in a series

The latest technology with on time personalized service

Welcome Nicholas Catallozzi, D.D.S. Nick Catallozzi is a native of Lincoln, RI. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Doctor of Dental Surgery from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Nick recently moved back to Rhode Island after living in the midwest for ten years. Nick is very passionate about providing excellent esthetic and functional dental care. Nick’s wife Megan is also a dentist practicing in southern Rhode Island. In his spare time Nick enjoys golf, sports, as well as spending time with family and friends.

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Buy any 3 beads and get a 4th bead ($35 value) free or Buy any 4 beads and get a BANGLE Bracelet Free

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— Offer valid October 1-20, 2012 —

167 Borden Street • Fall River, MA • 508.676.7169 Hours: Tue. & Sat. 10-3, Wed. thru Fri. 10-6 www.JJJewelry.com

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