The South Coast Insider - September 2013

September 2013

the south coast

Vol. 17 / No.9

coastalmags.com

NEW BEDFORD’S

Working Waterfront Festival

THE ‘TEMPEST’ of 1938

GET THAT MORTGAGE

here’s how

NEWS & VIEWS

what’s happening

Turbine troubles A town divided

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SEPTEMBER 2013

Contents In Every Issue

4

From the publisher

32

Dateline South Coast

By Elizabeth Morse Read

COVER STORY

8

16

Turbine troubles: the answer may not be blowing in the wind

By Jay Pateakos

No warning: the great hurricane of 1938

By Elizabeth Morse Read

THINGS TO DO

PRO TIPS

14

Navigating the mortgage process

By Nancy Kernan

YOUR HEALTH

20

6

30

2

37 Tarot-scope

By The Celtic Cricket

ON MY MIND

38

A fatherhood recalled

By Paul E. Kandarian

By Joyce Rowley

BUSINESS BUZZ

22

28

Eat organic for health: what ‘organic’really means

YOUR FUTURE

Tiverton’s Four Corners: a small business success story

By Jay Pateakos

South Coast: revved up and ready to go

By Steve Smith

Celebrating a way of life at New Bedford’s Working Waterfront Festival

By Michael J. DeCicco

The South Coast Chorale: looking for a few good voices

By Brian J. Lowney

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

ON THE COVER The Fairhaven wind turbines have been producing a lot more than electricity since they began to spin. And the problems are worldwide.

Photo: Greg Jones

Lead Sponsor: PRESENTS THE EIGHTH ANNUAL

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2013

12pm-5pm, tasting until 3:15 pm on Pier 3 - New Bedford’s working waterfront For ticket sale locations or more info visit our web site www.downtownnb.org e-mail dnb@downtownnb.org or call 508-990-2777

FREE! PORT OF NEW BEDFORD

A FESTIVAL SAMPLER Friday, Sept. 27th, 7:30 pm Whaling Museum Theater Celebrate 10 years with 10 performers for $10

FISHERMEN’S CONTESTS

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES

FILM SCREENINGS

FRESH, LOCAL SEAFOOD

VESSEL TOURS

WHALEBOAT RACES

COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS

HARBOR TOURS

AUTHOR SIGNINGS

LIVE MUSIC

MARITIME ARTISANS

OCCUPATIONAL DEMOS

FARMERS’ MARKET

BLESSING OF THE FLEET

FISHERPOETRY

TUG BOAT MUSTER

SEPTEMBER 28-29, 2013 SATuRDAy: 11AM TO 6PM | SuNDAy: 11AM TO 5PM Dartmouth Cultural Council Fairhaven Cultural Council New Bedford Cultural Council

Crystal Ice / Fairfield Inn & Suites New Bedford / Fairhaven Shipyard Companies / Farm Credit East Fishing for Energy / Latti & Anderson LLP / New Bedford Guide

FREE PARKING AT ELM STREET GARAGE

www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org

The South Coast Insider / September 2013

3

FROM THE PUBLISHER September 2013 / Vol. 17 / No. 9

Welcome to the September edition of “The South Coast Insider,” our region’s premier monthly magazine devoted

Published by Coastal Communications Corp.

to the activities and events all along the South Coast, that wonderful region we are privileged to call home.

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Ljiljana Vasiljevic

The rhythmic swoosh of wind turbine blades, to some people, sounds like “green energy” and a sensible, if only

Editor Greg Jones

partial, solution to our growing need for electricity from a renewable source that doesn’t add to the carbon dioxide

Contributors Michael J. DeCicco, Paul E. Kandarian, Nancy Kernan, Tom Lopes, Brian J. Lowney, Jay Pateakos, Elizabeth Morse Read, Joyce Rowley, Steve Smith

load in our atmosphere. To others, it sounds like audio torture, producing headaches, insomnia and “for sale” signs in front of affected homes. Jay Pateakos talked with people on both sides of the debate about wind turbines, and has the story on page 8.

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.

Other sounds, far sweeter no matter who you are, come from the South Coast Community Chorale, a group of people from various South Coast cities who get together to sing and perform in venues across our region. Brian J. Lowney brings you this story beginning on page 30.

All contents copyright ©2013 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.

Circulation

September is squarely in hurricane season, and although we’ve been fortunate so far this year, the South Coast has had several hurricanes that have wrought major changes to the shoreline, destroyed property and inflicted casualties up and down the coast. The Hurricane of 1938 was the biggest and most destructive hurricane to ever hit our shores, and that story is told by Elizabeth Morse Read, starting on page 16.

There’s more inside; read about the Working Waterfront Festival, New Bedford’s annual celebration of the industry that has employed local citizens for generations, on page 6, by Michael DeCicco, and Paul E. Kandarian’s tribute to fatherhood, and one father in particular, on page 38.

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It’s all made possible and brought to you by our advertisers. Your patronage of these businesses keeps South Coast money in the South Coast, where it ought to be.

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

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Ljiljana Vasiljevic Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

www.coastalmags.com

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

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September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

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THINGS TO DO

Fishermen compet in the scallop-shucking contest at the 2012 Working Waterfront Festival.

Photo by Jim Mahaney.

Celebrating the working waterfront

by Michael J. DeCicco

New Bedford’s a commercial fishing industry is frequently number one in the nation in terms of the value of the catch, but many of the city’s resident don’t know much about the fleet besides a casual glance at the fishing boats tied up along the piers.

Increasing that understanding is the idea behind the annual Working Waterfront Festival, which will celebrate its tenth anniversary this year on the city pier Sept. 28-29.

From the beginning, festival director Laura Orleans explained, the free, family-friendly festival was conceived as an educational celebration, an opportunity for people to get a first-hand understanding of a part of the community that most can’t access on their own.

“It’s important for people who are not in that community and culture to hear, and for fishermen to tell, their 6

story,” she said.

“More and more people are interested in where our food comes from. We can go to farmers’ markets, join foods co-ops, and have a conversation with a farmer.

Fishing happens way out there at sea where you can’t see or understand it.”

Evolution of an industry The theme of this year’s festival is how commercial fishing has changed over the past 10 years and what lies ahead. Authors and performers, some of whom are actually workers or past workers in the fishing industry, will entertain and

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

educate with music, poetry, book readings and storytelling that relate the actual experience of working in the fishing industry and on the sea, reflect the cultural diversity of the industry’s workforce and contemplate the industry’s future.

Fishermen contests and demonstrations will display important skills such as net mending, wire splicing, scallop shucking and fish filleting. A 750-gallon water tank called a Flume Tank will demonstrate how fishing gear functions out on the open ocean.

A Fishtales Story Station tent on Steamship Pier will

collect real-life stories from fishermen and others in the industry. Tours will be available of the harbor and aboard the restored Eastern rig fishing vessel, the F/V Roann.

If you’re hungry, a Seafood Hut will serve New Bedford fish and chips, fried scallops and a variety of other seafoods. The Foodway Area on Pier Three will feature cooking demonstrations and contests. A farmers’ market on State Pier will feature locally grown produce and specialty items.

Also look for survival suit and boat races, a man-overboard safety demonstration,

model boat makers, kid’s activities, industry exhibits, and the traditional Blessing of the Fleet on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

Help from the new highway The biggest change in this year’s festival is to the venue, with the newly reconstructed stretch of Route 18 at the foot of downtown that now gives tourists easier access to the waterfront that spawned New Bedford’s success as a city and fishing port.

‘The new design will give people more of an opportunity to connect with the area’s fishing culture,” she said.

“This is giving the industry a platform to share its point of view and give the

years. Radar’s wife, Kistin, has served as the festival’s co-director since the event began. The festival is now a project of the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern Massachusetts, a non-profit organization.

Adult Classes Register Today!

Lights, camera, fishing!

One regular feature of the festival has expanded beyond the limits of the two-day event. The DockU-Mentary Film series, which screens contemporary and historical documentaries on the industry, is now a monthly film series at the New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park Theater.

Orleans said it’s a challenge to attract festival

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This is giving the industry a platform to share its point of view and give the public more perspective to understand each other.

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public more perspective to understand each other,” she added.

A folklorist by trade who lives in New Bedford, Orleans was producing an event in Seattle, WA in 2003 on understanding the fishing industry when the seed of an idea came to her.

“I thought, why don’t we have something like this here?” she said. “As soon as I had the idea, I shopped it around.”

A big help along the way has been enthusiastic help of local artists and business people and the Bendiksen family, which has multiple links to the industry. The family manufactures fishing gear, and Radar Bendiksen was a fisherman for 30

people to the films because there are so many other activities during the event’s two days. So, two years ago, the Festival Committee decided to talk to the New Bedford Park Service about a regular documentary film series in the theater at its William Street headquarters.

It was a serendipitous meeting of the minds, Orleans said. The series has continued ever since, every third Friday of each month, free of charge, at 7:00 p.m. in the Corson Maritime Learning Center Theater, 33 William Street, with Orleans as director.

For more information on the Working Waterfront Festival, go to www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org.

The South Coast Insider / September 2013

7

COVER STORY

BLOWING

in the wind

by Jay Pateakos

There’s a saying that, “things are alike all over,” and when it comes to the onslaught of massive wind turbines in population-rich communities across the world, the problems continue to mount, pitting neighbor against neighbor and communities versus developers.

The well-publicized battles we’ve seen in Falmouth, where a community tried to pull together to tear down the turbines that had been built years before and more recently Fairhaven, where some residents are less than 1,000 feet from the 1.5 megawatt twin turbines, are just the beginning.

But sadly, the bigger the wind turbines, the bigger the problems, and it’s becoming a global issue.

Worldwide problems In Australia, David and Alida Mortimer decided to host two Vestas 1.75 MW wind turbines on their

massive property. These are people that financially benefited from the wind turbines. But they almost immediately began experiencing problems, which are now attributed to the turbines, including “a deep drumming, rumbling sensation in the skull” behind the ears and sleep deprivation.

They are in the process of putting the house up for sale, though they realize it’s unlikely anyone would buy it.

In Denmark, where turbines started out small in the 1970s before growing to huge sizes, complaints on the effects of turbines have been registered for more than 20 years. Despite

this, no medical research, registry of complaints or follow-up has ever been done.

In Clear Creek, Ontario, Canada, where 18 Vestas 1.65 MW wind turbines were built within 3,000 yards of 140 homes, the toll include one suicide attributed to the sounds of the turbines and an attempted suicide; nine homes abandoned; eight vacant homes with “for sale” signs; seven occupied homes with “for sale” signs; a pregnant woman losing her baby in the second trimester; three heart bypass operations and more.

In Glenmore, Wisconsin, high school Continued on page 10

8

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

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student Alyssa Ashley could always tell when the Shirley wind energy facility turbines were turning on and off by the ringing in her ears. When she traveled, her symptoms would always go away and return as soon as she came home. She was forced to move away from her family and home.

Could some of these be unrelated to the turbines? Sure. But the people had none of these effects before the turbines were installed.

In Falmouth and Fairhaven the stories are numerous. While many who don’t feel the ill effects of the turbines claim the complaints are of the “not in my backyard” variety, the complaints don’t always come from residents.

In Falmouth, where General Electric decided against building the twin turbines due to the proximity to residents, Donna Benevides suffered from ver-

tigo, dizziness, tinnitus and a feeling of pressure in her ears after the wind turbine went up, 650 feet from where she works.

Unlike many complainants, Benevides feels the effects during the day and not at night, at home in Harwich.

“I do not know any of the people that live near the turbines,” Benevides wrote to the town Health Agent David Carignan, “but my heart goes out to them.”

But there are also many people, living just as close to the turbines, who suffer no ill effects. In a recent letter to the editor of the “Standard Times” of New Bedford, a Fairhaven resident called out those who claim to be suffering from the wind turbine effects, noting that none of her family have suffered any ill effects, despite their proximity to the turbines. But the truth is,

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No ‘sunscreen’ for noise “For infrasound [low frequency] exposure in your home, there is no way to protect yourself.” Salt said the problem with the wind turbine sound

Wind turbines carry uniquely disturbing low-frequency noises [that] cannot be tuned out

No problems for some

10

the low-frequency noise that turbines emit affect different people in different ways.

In a 2012 study, Dr. Alec N. Salt, an expert on human ear physiology at the Cochlear Fluids Research Laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis, compared the dangers of low-frequency noise from wind turbines to ultraviolet rays.

“We cannot see ultraviolet light but we all understand that it can affect us profoundly, causing sunburn, photokeratitis [snow blindness] and cataracts. For ultraviolet light, there are simple ways that the damaging effects can be avoided by using sunscreen and eye protection,” wrote Salt.

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider 6/11/13 1:26 PM

usually becomes worse at night when other household sounds are muted or absent.

“The sound becomes dominated by infrasound that the person cannot hear. The infrasound is detected by the ear and has subtle influences on the body that we are just beginning to understand,” he said. “People undergo repeated arousals of sleep and repeated awakenings…that leave the individual stressed and unrefreshed.”

Dr. Michael A. Nissenbaum, a radiologist at the Northern Maine Medical Center, conducted a recent study for “Noise & Health,” a bi-monthly interdisciplinary international journal, on the impact of low-frequency noise from wind turbines in quiet, rural communities.

Nissenbaum said communities will continue to have problems from wind turbines as long as developers have engineers conduct acoustic studies, with no input from doctors.

A noise like no other “Wind turbines carry uniquely disturbing low-frequency noises and over time, these noises cannot be tuned out, like white noise can. Wind turbine noise, in studies, has been shown to be the second-worst kind of noise, next to railroad shunting. Wind turbine noise…doesn’t allow a human being to relax.”

Nissenbaum admits that not everyone close to wind turbines feels its effects. Studies show that 30-40 percent of those nearby are negatively impacted.

“If it was a new drug, and 30 percent of the people were having ill effects from it, it would never make it to market, so why are we willing to tolerate this?” said Nissenbaum. “There is just an unacceptable level of complaints here.”

Asked about the best distance from turbines to a residential community, he said studies show that 3,000 meters [almost two miles] may work, but even then that may also be too close, depending on the wind.

In Fairhaven, with turbine complaints mounting, the Board of Health ordered the twin turbines shut down in June between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. after a number of state acoustical tests came back noting violations. But that shutdown lasted just a little over a month since the turbines were in violation at only a few junctures.

Groups pro and con Organized opponents of the wind turbines, known as WindWise, have sent dozens of letters to the editor noting the impacts the turbines are having on families close by.

Just recently, another group has been established, Friends of Fairhaven Wind, that has called out WindWise on its many arguments on the impacts of the turbines, saying there is an equal number of people who suffer no ill effects.

Fairhaven Board of Selectmen Chairman Charles Murphy, who spent six years at the Board of Health and is Continued on next page

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Continued from previous page on his sixth year as a selectman, said there is still a lot of misinformation out there and preached patience as the town tries to determine the best plan for the future regarding turbines and their impact.

“Both sides are trying to mitigate this without having to go to court. Both the town and the developer realize how expensive that can get,” said Murphy.

“But there is a lot of wrong information out there and there are groups that are scaring people, saying shutting down the turbines would mean the layoff of a person in town and other things. There are a lot of things people don’t have the right information on right now.”

Murphy, who supported the 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. shutdown, thought that was a decent compromise to help residents secure a good night’s sleep. With the turbines back on, he said town officials are working daily to determine how to mitigate the problem.

“It’s going to take a little time but we believe a balance can be reached,” added Murphy.

“One hundred percent of the people will not be happy but I believe a majority of people in town will be.”

Study groups and think tanks Perhaps because of the continued problems with wind turbines in residential neighborhoods, the Patrick administration and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs launched a Community Wind Outreach Initiative (CWOI) in July, aimed at helping municipalities and developers work together for landbased wind projects.

CWOI will include a coordinated community wind working group of state agencies and experts that will solicit input on a wind turbine sound policy. The initiative plans to lend support to municipalities planning new turbine projects and those who already have them.

Currently, the state does not have any parameters in place for wind turbines in residential zones, according to Matt Kakley, spokesman for the state’s Clean 12

Energy Center (MassCEC), where the zoning of wind turbines and other structures is governed by local bylaws and boards.

Asked if, with the problems that we’ve seen in Falmouth and Fairhaven, there is a re-thinking of turbines in residential areas, Kakley said while every renewable energy project is unique, “there are lessons learned from every installation,” pointing to the new state initiative that they hope will “take these lessons and apply them in the development of future projects.

“We feel, as we always have, that appropriately-sited wind energy projects represent a valuable opportunity to harness homegrown natural resources for our energy production, keeping energy dollars here in the local econ-

It wasn’t until the turbines were erected and started to spin that people experienced the reality of wind. omy and protecting the environment for future generations,” said Kakley.

“Wind energy continues to play an important role in our clean energy future. There was more wind energy capacity installed in Massachusetts in 2012 than in all other years combined.

The opportunity presented through offshore wind is attainable, with Cape Wind poised to become the first offshore wind project in the country,” added Kakley.

“Under the leadership of Governor Patrick,” Kakley continued, “MassCEC is constructing the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal, the nation’s first port specifically designed to handle the heavy cargo involved

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

in an offshore wind project. With the construction of the terminal, Massachusetts will be poised to capitalize on this burgeoning market.”

The real cost of wind energy Creating jobs is something sorely needed, especially in the Commonwealth, and moving away from our reliance on fossil fuels is another necessity. But with more and more complaints derived from residentially developed wind turbines, what exactly is the future of wind turbines on land?

The New Hampshire-based www.

Windaction.org and its executive director Lisa Linowes were technical advisors for the documentary fim “Windfall,” which explores the many problems of wind turbines. Linowes is an expert on the impacts of industrialscale wind turbines on the natural environment.

She said that policies now in place at the state, regional and federal levels consistently reward wind projects just for putting energy on the grid, no matter where the projects are located.

“For this reason, developers have no incentive to resolve their siting issues,” Linowes said. “Instead, their focus is entirely on building turbines wherever they can get them approved.”

Windaction.org was founded in 2006 to help balance the discussion pertaining to wind energy development, and Linowes stressed that her agency was not anti-wind, as long as it had no impact on those living nearby.

A growth industry Linowes said back in 2006, there was considerable literature promoting the merits of wind power but next to no information on the risks of siting or the costs of the energy. There was also only about 10,000 MW of wind installed in the US, with most of the wind sited in a handful of states.

Today, 60,000 MW are installed nearly nationwide. The only exception is the southeast, where the wind resource is poor.

“That’s over 30,000 turbines erected since 2006. Much has happened since 2006, but the most notable trend is that

the turbines are getting much bigger and there is no apparent limit to where they will be sited,” said Linowes. “Wind companies have aggressively pushed their projects in areas where they should not be sited.

“In many rural communities with no zoning, developers continued to build and build, and that’s what happened in Texas. Those with zoning welcomed the projects, hoping to do their part to look ‘green’ and to reap some of the construction and property tax revenue,” she said.

“Unfortunately,” Linowes said, “the developers were less than honest about what their projects would look and sound like.

“Communities believed that the turbines were quiet and safe and could be sited within 1,000 feet of a person’s home. Most had no idea what turbines looked like up close and the photo simulations depicted the towers against vast open spaces, making them look tiny,” said Linowes.

“It wasn’t until the turbines were erected and started to spin that people experienced the reality of wind. And by that time, the permits were in place and a parade of wind lawyers moved quickly to silence any complaints,” said Linowes.

While Linowes said there can still be a future for wind development, significant hurdles exist.

The easiest places for wind companies to site projects happen to be where people live, and she said her group is not convinced there is any place in New England where turbines can be sited onshore, given our population density.

would require tens of billions of dollars in new transmission infrastructure to deliver the wind power to where it can be consumed,” she said.

“The transmission adds to the cost of wind power, which is already more expensive than all forms of traditional generation.”

More and more studies are coming out about the ill effects turbines have on humans and more complaints are coming to light out about how it is affecting people and families.

The hope is that eventually, local and state governments will figure out how to make everything work without sacrificing people’s health, which is what has been happening.

Until then, citizens and municipalities will remain in a state of flux as they try to determine where they go from here. We are all more informed than we were five years ago, which will hopefully lead to more hard questions about wind turbines and where they are sited in the future. Let’s hope.

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“Wind can make more sense in our western plains but these areas are very remote from population centers and

The South Coast Insider / September 2013

13

PRO TIPS

Navigating the mortgage process

by Nancy Kernan

You’ve decided to become a home buyer. You have scanned the MLS listing on line, checked out the “Open Houses” in the paper and studied homes with the “For Sale” signs on the lawns.

Now the dream needs a strategy, a plan and a partner to guide you through the process. So, what is the first step? The first step is selecting a mortgage loan officer who will partner with you and prepare you for your pre-approval.

To begin, your loan officer will assist you with the qualifying process.

To accomplish this, your loan officer will take your information so he/or she can see if you are credit-worthy.

They will ask for your permission to pull your credit scores from the three bureaus, Transunion, Experian, and Equifax.

The minimum standard score today is 740. Once the credit score is available the loan officer will see if you are within the guidelines. If you are, then the loan officer will proceed to ask you what your annual income is and where you work. The standard is two years of work history.

14

If you have two years with the same company, this is good. If not, then the loan officer will ask for your previous employer. Once the loan officer has this information then the loan officer can see what you back-end ratio is. The standard is 45DTI, (debt to income).

The necessary paperwork The loan officer will request the following documents: your income documents for one full month; two years of tax returns with W-2s; your driver’s license; and two months of bank statements. You will also need to get a quote for insurance for your future home.

This pre-approval process will provide an acceptable monthly payment and from this, along with your down payment, you will be able to find out if your scenario is acceptable for Fannie/Freddie guidelines and a pre-

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

approval letter will be issued.

Then the search for the right home begins. Once your find a home, contact your loan officer to provide them with the loan amount and what the taxes are on the home. If you’re shopping for a condo, the LO will need to know the condo fees as well. Then all the documents the loan officer requested will need to be given to the loan officer for him/her to build the loan.

The bank statement that you provide to the loan officer will evidence any large deposit of $1,000.00 or more, with the canceled check. You will also need to evidence the down payment check (a copy of it) and evidence once it has cleared your account.

A fully executed Purchase and Sales is needed. In Massachusetts, you will get an inspection first and then sign the Purchase and Sales. In Rhode Island you get the Purchase and Sales

first, then the home inspection. This document will have a commitment date and a close date. The bank will comply with those dates.

Once the loan officer has the complete file put together he/she will submit it to the back office. They in turn will check that all the necessary document are time-dated and that none of the documents are expired.

They will order the appraisal and the tax return verification. Once those are in, then the file is sent to the underwriter for review. The appraisal may be in, but even if not, the loan will be sent down, in order to not delay the approval status.

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Choosing a good loan officer The underwriter will again review that the income works, and that the file meets all of the Fannie/Freddie guidelines. Once the underwriter does his/or her function they will approve or request additional documents to get the file to the “approved” status.

Then the loan officer is notified and will get all the conditions needed and will resubmit the file for final review and to the clear-to-close status. The back office will have to get the verification of employment.

At this point the back office will send the loan to the closing team; they will prepare the loan documents and send them over to the attorney assigned to the loan. Then the documents are sent over to the attorney for the closing. Usually within these two days the dollars to bring to the table are given to the borrower for them to get a certified check for the closing. Then your closing will be scheduled.

Your trip through the mortgage process is so much easier with a mortgage loan officer who partners with you each step of the way. Interview them, and pick the one you want to work with you.

Nancy Kernan has been a banking professional for 25 years and has specialized in mortgages for the past eight years.

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The South Coast Insider / September 2013

15

COVER STORY

by Elizabeth Morse Read

One of my first true memories is of standing on my tiptoes to peek through the screen door, watching the tree out back keel over and crash. I was just shy of three years old and I was watching Hurricane Carol in 1954.

B

ut as vivid as that memory was, it must pale in comparison to what other impressionable little kids saw on September 21, 1938.

Few people on the South Coast who survived that cataclysmic day are still with us, but I do remember one woman telling me that her family truly believed it was the end of the world.

My father, who recently turned 90, was a high school student in New Bedford walking home with a friend at the height of the storm. When they reached the corner of Hillman and County Streets, with St. Lawrence Church on one side and the fire station on the other, he stopped and watched the slate tiles from the fire station’s roof fly over his head and impale themselves in the church lawn.

“It looks like a little cemetery,” he said to his friend.

He had no idea what was really happening; back then, people shrugged off

16

the “tempests” that usually showed up in late summer or early fall. There was no Weather Channel or Doppler radar or NOAA satellites or reverse-911 calls from civil authorities to warn people of the near-apocalypse that was heading their way. By the end of that day, the worst natural disaster in the country’s history to that date had almost erased the South Coast.

The ‘Tempest’ of 1938 It had been an unusually wet spring and summer that year, and it rained heavily for four days before September 21, 1938. The earth was sodden and water-logged just before the equinoctal high tide. When the people on the South Coast woke up to a sunny day, they did not know that a Category 3 hurricane would make a direct hit by afternoon. Unlike the sophisticated hurricane tracking systems in place today, meteorologists in 1938 were more akin to air traffic controllers, passing

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

along weather updates via telephone and telegraph from station to station along the coast.

By the time Providence and Boston received warning from the Washington, DC, weather office that a tropical storm was headed north from the Carolinas, it had already slammed into Long Island. Moving rapidly over warm waters, with winds in excess of 120 mph, the “tropical storm” hit

southern New England with such raw force that seismographs in Alaska recorded the impact. Modern scientists say that the power, heat and energy of the storm’s impact was equivalent to detonating a 10-megaton nuclear bomb every 20 minutes. The Depressionera South Coast was about to be slaughtered.

The storm made landfall in Connecticut and raced eastward, snapping tele-

phone lines along the way, making it impossible to warn neighboring towns.

New London was literally flattened by 120 mph winds, and the Thames River was turned into such a surging juggernaut that Norwich, 10 miles north, was buried beneath 11 feet of water in less than an hour. Shortcircuiting electrical lines sparked an inferno in New London’s business district.

Firefighters were helpless in the winds.

Rhode Island, with its low-lying, marshy southern coastline, was devoured.

Surf-watchers who mistook a three-story tidal surge (the largest ever recorded) for a strange, “hissing fog bank” were sucked out to sea. Four hundred cottages in Misquamicut simply vanished. Of the almost 800 people who perished that terrible day, more than half

were from Rhode Island– and 175 came from the Westerly-to-Narragansett Bay stretch. There were so many bodies floating everywhere, snagged in debris and flung into trees, that morticians in makeshift morgues in schools and churches ran out of embalming fluid.

At high tide, a 20-foot storm surge propelled by 120 mph winds raced up Narragansett Bay to drown Providence in 13 feet of water. People on the street scrambled up fire escapes and guests at the Biltmore Hotel treaded water in the lobby. Looters were chased down by armed National Guardsmen in commandeered skiffs.

A tanker, ripped from its Taunton River berth, impaled itself on a Somerset lawn. Waterfront homes Continued on next page

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale The categories below do not include loss-of-life estimates, but obviously the loss-of-life risk increases as wind speed accelerates. Living on the South Coast is not risk-free.

Category 1: 74-95 mph sustained winds; very dangerous winds producing some damage to buildings, utilities, trees Category 2: 96-110 mph sustained winds; extremely dangerous winds producing extensive damage and severe power losses, blocked roads Category 3 (major): 111-129 mph sustained winds; devastating winds producing massive damage, with power, communications, water down for days-weeks

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The South Coast Insider / September 2013

17

Continued from previous page

New England

Historic Hurricanes

The Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635: possible Category 4, roughly 50 deaths August 1778: a weakened storm that prevented a major naval battle between the British and French off the coast of Rhode Island, estimated 70 deaths The Storm of 1804: a Category 3, which dumped up to three feet of snow, nine deaths The Great September Gale of 1815: an 11-foot storm surge funneled up Narragansett Bay, destroyed 500 buildings and 35 ships, flooded Providence, some 40 deaths The October Gale of 1841: wrecked the Georges Bank fishing fleet, killing 81 fishermen, destroyed the saltworks factories on Cape Cod October 1849: made landfall in Massachusetts, 143 deaths New England Hurricane of 1938: strong Category 3 with Category 5 gusts, massive destruction, up to 800 deaths Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944: Category 4 winds, considered by many to be more destructive than 1938 storm, severe damage to New Bedford, Cape and Islands, 46 deaths August 1954: Hurricane Carol, Category 3-4, extreme damage to South Coast, 68 deaths September 1954: Hurricane Edna, second Category 3 in two weeks to hit South Coast, 28 deaths September 1960: Hurricane Donna, Category 2-3, major utility and structural damage to South Coast, sixth hurricane to hit the area in 30 years, fifth major hurricane in 22 years September 1985: Hurricane Gloria, Category 4 winds, first major hurricane to hit South Coast since 1960, Rehoboth reported 120 mph gusts, possible tornado August 1991: Hurricane Bob, small but intense Category 2, 144 mph gust reported in Westport, 162 mph gust off Cuttyhunk Island, 17 deaths August 2011: Hurricane Irene, weakened upon landfall, created massive flooding throughout New England, hurricane-force winds on South Coast, 16 deaths

18

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

along the East Bay and Westport crumpled and washed away. At the height of the storm, with the wind coming directly from the south, an enormous surge came up the Acushnet River, swallowing the New Bedford waterfront beneath eight feet of water. The wife of the lighthouse keeper on Palmer’s Island was swept out to sea. Fishing boats were hurled over the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge, landing on the grounds of Fairhaven High School. Five people drowned when their Buzzards Bay home collapsed and slid into the Cape Cod Canal.

Property damage was greater than had ever occurred from a single storm anywhere in the world to that date. But only five percent of those structures were insured: 9,000 homes were completely destroyed or vanished; another 15,000 were severely damaged.

More than 3,300 boats were lost, another 3,400 were rendered unseaworthy, with untold damage to gear, wharves and shore plants.

The local clam and oyster industry was wiped out.

Twenty thousand miles of electrical/telephone wires were downed, half the region’s crops were ruined, and 2,000 head of livestock were killed, along with three-quarters of a million poultry.

The coastline was so ravaged that navigational charts were now completely useless. Sea salt killed vegetation 20 miles inland, and two billion trees were leveled. Tropical birds, blown off course, circled above Vermont. The South Coast economy, already reeling

from the Depression, was in shambles. The fishing industry was ruined; farms failed; mills closed down.

Not since the retreat of the last Ice Age had the South Coast been so scoured and pummeled. It was one of the greatest natural disasters in America to date—and no one had seen it coming.

Where do hurricanes come from?

People don’t normally choose to live in southern New England because they love our balmy weather. Sure, we experience random tornadoes, flash floods and even minor earthquakes, but what we are best known for is our long history of deadly, destructive North Atlantic hurricanes [see sidebar]. Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico was a poignant reminder of what happens when a major (Category 3 or higher) hurricane makes landfall on a heavilypopulated, low-lying coastal region.

Sounds a lot like here, doesn’t it?

Have you ever wondered why the beach waters north

of Cape Cod are so much colder than the waters off the South Coast? That’s because the South Coast is the northernmost point in the US where the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream hit and bounce off to the east on their way to northern Europe (which explains why the fjords in southern Norway are ice-free). In other words, the Gulf Stream “hurricane highway” is aimed directly at our shores, should a hurricane ever get this far north. Small comfort– we may get to enjoy warmer water to swim in than do our neighbors near Boston, but it’s at the risk of some very, very dangerous weather now and then.

North Atlantic hurricanes begin when tropical cyclonic systems near the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Africa head west towards Florida, Once there, the storm system comes to what amounts to a fork in the road. Some of the storms head for the tropical waters of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, and some follow the Gulf Stream north along the Eastern seaboard. When a storm system’s winds reach a constant 74 mph, it

becomes a full-fledged hurricane [see sidebar]. Many true hurricanes slow down enough to become “just” tropical storms once they make landfall, but as we’ve learned from Hurricane/ Tropical Storms Sandy and Irene, they can still create enormous damage and lifethreatening conditions.

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A hurricane by any other name Until the mid-1950s, there was no official way of naming or referring to a particular cyclonic storm (typhoon, hurricane, etc.) in the various storm-prone regions of the world. Starting in 1953, several US government agencies jointly created an annual alphabetic list of female names (excluding those beginning with Q, U, X, Y and Z) for tropical storms/hurricanes, in the nautical tradition of calling ships “she.” In 1979, male names were added to the mix. Hurricane names are normally “recycled” every six years; however, if a particular storm was considered devastating (i.e., Katrina, Sandy), the name is permanently retired.

The North Atlantic hurricane names for 2013 are Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dorian, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Ingrid, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van and Wendy.

We may be better-informed and better-prepared than folks were in 1938, but you can’t outrun a major hurricane, any more than you can outrun an earthquake, a wildfire or a tornado. It’s the risk you take when you chose to live where you do.

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The South Coast Insider / September 2013

19

YOUR HEALTH

Organic?

Says who ?

by Joyce Rowley

Ben Franklin’s homily about an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure is as true today as it was hundreds of years ago. It’s certainly true about food—especially when it comes to eating healthy to stay healthy.

O

rganic food production first came onto the food scene in the late 1960s, a spinoff from the 1962 consciousnessraising book, “Silent Spring,” by Rachel Carson.

That environmental classic told the tale of rampant pesticide use that left flocks of songbirds dead, polluted water supplies, killed fish, and left land unsuitable for livestock for years.

Carson was the first to make the connection between pesticides and cancer in humans.

DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), dieldrin, endrin, aldrin and dioxin were commonplace in the arsenal of spraying to eliminate insects back then. Carson documented how these poisons accumulated in the soil so that even when spraying stopped, toxic levels were still found years later. Carson also described how pesticides mixed in the soil to form new compounds, which were also taken up through the roots in food crop plants and directly into tubers in the ground.

But now, 50 years later, there are still over 400 pesticides used in conventional farming, although in smaller quantities. And the potential for mixing in the soil is as great as ever.

Health nuts Back then, people who questioned how chemicals were used in growing and marketing their food were called 20

“health nuts.” If they wanted to eat foods that were relatively free of pesticides, herbicides and processing, they had to travel to a “health food” store.

The connection between good health and eliminating pesticides from our diet was clear, but it was years before that connection became mainstream enough to be seen at the local grocery store.

Now the myriad of labels makes navigating the supermarket more challenging. “Natural” sounds good, but what does it mean? And “organic?”

How organically grown is it? Says who?

“Organic food is food that has been produced without synthetic fertilizers,” says Jamie Bucchieri, a dietician with Coastline Elderly Services in Fall River.

“A farm can label its food as certified organic only after a three-year process established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.”

In a recent talk to New Bedford seniors at Buttonwood Park Community Center, Bucchieri said it begins with converting land to organic soil by getting rid of pesticide residues, changing agricultural practices, and eliminating the use of antibiotics in animals. A farm that receives USDA certification can label its products as “100 percent USDA-certified organic” on a green and white seal.

Products with multiple ingredients may also use the 100 percent USDAcertified organic label for individual

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

ingredients even if up to five percent of the ingredients are non-agricultural substances, such as mineral additives, she said.

Just “organic” labeling means there is at least 70 percent organically-grown ingredients, but the product is not USDA-certified.

An organic apple a day keeps the doctor away “Studies have shown possible links between pesticides and certain cancers,” Bucchieri said. “For example, women with breast cancer are five times more likely to have pesticide residue in their blood.”

Bucchieri is part of the growing field of preventive medicine. Dieticians are leading the way by helping people stay healthy before they become patients.

Cathy Bowers, a registered nurse and certified dietician, is in private practice as a dietician serving in the Mattapoisett area. Her clients include people seeking help with diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, weight management, cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Where traditional medicine has not been helpful for problems like migraines, IBS, and fibromyalgia, Bowers can help identify food sources that may be causing the problem and work out a diet plan. Occasionally the patient shows sensitivity to a food dye or other chemicals in the food that cause

a reaction, resulting in illness.

Both dietitians agree that when choosing organic fruits and vegetables on a limited budget, shoppers should keep in mind the “dirty dozen.” These are foods that are thin-skinned, and whose skin is usually eaten, like apples, blueberries, celery, lettuce, peppers and peaches. These tend to retain and absorb pesticides and herbicides.

Then there’s the “clean fifteen,” like cantaloupe, pineapple, avocados and eggplant, whose thick skin acts as a barrier and is usually tossed out anyway. Spending money on the organic versions of these fruits and vegetables doesn’t accomplish much healthwise, said Bucchieri, although there is some benefit to the environment from pesticide-free cultivation practices.

Both women also agree that taste should not factor into buying organic foods, and that the nutritional value in most cases is the same, whether the food grown with organic practices or without. Nutrients leave the food over time, though, so shopping local is also important.

Local, fresh, nutritional value “One thing about nutrition, is that by giving your body things that it has a

predisposition to process, it makes it easier to absorb all of the nutrients in the food,” said Tim Ellis Cole, manager at How on Earth, a local produce market and restaurant in Mattapoisett.

How on Earth offers both organic and conventional produce from local farms like Round the Bend in Marion, and Skinny Dip Farm in Westport.

Ellis Cole gets peaches from Keith’s in Acushnet, and peaches and tomatoes from Noquochoke Farm, also in Westport. Artisanal cheese and other dairy products arrive from Smith’s Farmstead, and Shy Brothers in Westport, MA, and the Narragansett Creamery in Providence, RI. “Most of the farms have organic practices in place even if they’re not certified,” said Ellis Cole. Ellis said the certification is often too rigorous for small farms.

So what are the best bets for local fruits and veggies this month?

“Hearty leafy greens, late tomatoes, lots of parsnips,” said Ellis Cole. Look for pears later this month, too.

So this harvest, remember to look for local fresh fruits and veggies for high nutrient value, with lots of fruits and veggies, and organic foods to help keep you and Mother Earth healthy.

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Ben Franklin didn’t have to worry about synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides, but he knew a thing or two about good advice. Here’s the dieticians’ adviceon best buysin organicallygrown foods:

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The Dirty Dozen Buying the organic grown version of these fruits/veggies is worth the extra cost.

Apples Bell peppers n Blueberries

Celery Cucumbers n Grapes

Lettuce Nectarines n Peaches

Potatoes Spinach n Strawberries

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

The Clean Fifteen The thick skins provide a barrier and prevent absorption of chemicals on these foods, so if you’re on a tight budget, you can save your money and buy these conventionally grown foods.

Asparagus Avocados n Cabbage n Cantaloupe

Corn Eggplant n Grapefruit n Kiwi

Mangoes Mushrooms n Onions n Pineapple

Sweet Peas Sweet Potatoes n Watermelon

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

The South Coast Insider / September 2013

21

BUSINESS BUZZ

Tiverton Four Corners

by Jay Pateakos

When it comes to a place like Tiverton Four Corners, where you can find just about anything you may want to buy or a place to eat or artwork to view in an atmosphere of a bygone era, there's history bursting at the seams.

From an Art Center celebrating its 20th year to businesses like Courtyards celebrating 30 years to newer businesses creating more diversity, Tiverton Four Corners is as rare as it comes in its originality and offerings. And yes, there’s more to come. Just wait and see. Located in a Rhode Island Arts District, Tiverton Four Corners has something for any taste, from gourmet eateries to antique shops and upscale retail spots and much, much more.

Growing by popular demand Perfectly Twisted Yarn, open just over a year, continues the trend of stores coming in to complement and spotlight the variety of offerings that makes Four Corners special.

22

Run exclusively by its three partners, Kate and Karen Burnes and Maureen Rounds, the plan has been to keep the store small, with no employees.

Over the last few months, Karen Burnes said the specialty store has added items other than just yarn to help expand their product lines.

“A lot of people come to the Four Corners looking for gifts, so we now have a selection of local and handmade gift options, such as soaps, candles, jewelry, bags and handknit items.

They have been extremely popular,” said Karen Burnes.

“As we learned customers’ wants and needs, we evolved to meet that demand. Although we opened as a yarn store, we had a lot of ‘non-knitting traffic, said Karen. “We have tried to

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

make our store appealing to everyone who might walk through the door.”

Like many stores in general, not just new ones like Yarn, the daily struggle is in getting their name out there.

Shedding anonymity “We still have a lot of people, including locals, walk in who hadn’t realized we existed, so our goal right now is to reach out to the public and make our presence better known,” said co-partner Maureen Rounds.

Rounds added that, “We also have a great deal of seasonal customers and are trying to get Tiverton Four Corners thought of as a year round destination.”

Burnes noted that all three partners have taken great joy in meeting new people and seeing imaginations run wild when they find a yarn they love but like any store, challenges still exist that need to be overcome.

This is not a mega-mall “We have a lot of customers who become friends and will spend the

day knitting in the garden with us.

Unfortunately, the location can be challenging. With the growth of big box stores and the Internet, small shops like in the Four Corners are sometimes forgotten,” said Burnes.

“We may be a little out of the way, but we think, “ continued Burnes, that “it’s worth the trip for the atmosphere alone. Unlike the mall, you can find unique, one-of-a-kind purchases while shopping stress-free and crowd-free.”

As for the future, the partners hope to see the Four Corners grow and become more diverse in both the location and at their own store.

“We hope to appeal to an even broader range of people in the future,” added Rounds. “We would also like to continue growing our customer base and be in a position to host special events, such as workshops and seminars.”

Unique jewelry One look at Tiffany Peay Jewelry, and you’ll know this is jewelry you’ll not find anywhere else.

The jewelry, made on the premises by Tiffany Peay herself, is created “where color and movement are the trademarks.”

Four different colors are used in the making of the jewelry: green; yellow; white; and pink. This basic palette of colors is complemented with unusual varieties of gemstones and pearls.

Securing a bachelor of fine arts degree in metalsmithing and glassworking in 1993, Peay’s jewelry journey started in New York City in 1997, working with such clients as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Banana Republic and many more high-end shops over the years.

From Manhattan to Four Corners Tiffany opened her own gallery and showroom in New York’s Lower East Side in 2000, before moving her production to Massachusetts and Rhode Island, opening her own retail shop in Tiverton Four Corners in 2007. In 2012, Peay celebrated 15 years of creating jewelry that is as rare as the shop and person she became.

Tiffany and her inspiring team educate each customer on gemstones and the process that goes into creating the one-of-a-kind jewelry. Kashmir, the shop dog, is a comforting asset in the environment and a great model for beautiful collection of pearl dog collars.

“I’ve been in business 16 years, starting with all-wholesale for 10 years then switching to retail six and a half years ago when I moved my business to Tiverton Four Corners,” said Peay.

“I have done all the benchwork myself for the last Tiffany Peay five, focusing on and Kashmir, part of the team special, one-of-aat Tiffany Peay kind pieces and Jewelry. also introducing the metaphysical benefits of gemstone.”

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Business meets fine art Tiffany and her very talented assistant, Hannah Houbre, handpick each gem and pearl during the annual trip to the Tucson Gem Show in February. Tiffany Peay Jewelry is available at her Tiverton Four Corners studio and gallery and online at www. tiffanypeay.com. A small collection can also be seen at Gladstone in Manchester-by-the- Sea. “Owning my own business is an absolute pleasure. As an artist, it is Continued on next page

TIFFANY PEAY JEWELRY

Tiverton Four Corners www.tiffanypeay.com

The South Coast Insider / September 2013

23

Continued from previous page wonderful to be able to make what I love and support myself and my employees,” said Peay, who offers a program where you can buy five charms and get a sixth as a gift.

Peay said she feels “very fortunate to be located in Tiverton Four Corners. It is a wonderful community of artists and designers.

Over the years, we have expanded our charm collection. It is loads of fun to make your own cluster of gemstones to wear as your own modern heirloom.”

Peay said the gemstones offer attributes for healing and well-being. Using yellow sapphire as one example, they are a representation for “abundance and bringing fulfillment of ambition”.

“Our hopes for the shop are to expand our website and being able to offer special promotions right online,” said Peay.

No sales tax!

“We are located in a sales tax-free arts district which exempt us from having to collect the RI seven percent sales tax. We are exempt because everything is handmade and one-of-a-kind.”

Extending across the spectrum of history at Tiverton Four Corners, there is Courtyards, run by Sharon Prazak and her daughter, Wendy, open for more than three decades–one of the first businesses to call Tiverton Four Corners home.

Courtyards offers a unique collection of garden art, decorative and functional pottery, artisancrafted jewelry, home accents and much more.

With a little help from their friends While the two work hard to operate and share duties of the business, Prazak said they have a few loyal friends who help out, especially during the holidays, one of their busiest seasons.

Prazak said they are very 24

two-story barn surrounded by gardens, a stream and a mill pond.

“Courtyards changes almost weekly. We always promise to be able to show customers something new and different. We have always made our own line of cast stone garden statuary, which we are known for, plus our promise to ‘expect the unusual’ holds true with each and every line we carry,” said Prazak.

Unique art

Peter Tirpaeck, of Studio by the Sea, has been transforming, repairing, and creating locally for over 25 years.

fortunate to have talented family members behind the scenes to help create and make their business special.

They host many events throughout the year that also bring out volunteers, including most recently in the Mystical Magical Creatures Art Show for young people where many local artists came out to lend a hand.

“It’s a generous community,” said Prazak, whose small shop is a

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

“Most of the hand-made work shown won’t be found elsewhere.

We are always in search of the finely crafted and whimsical, things to elicit an ‘Oh, my’ or a smile,” said Prazak.

Like many businesses suffering through the extended recession, Prazak said the past few years have been a struggle for all of the shopkeepers “who operate and love our small businesses.

“We seem to be working twice as hard for half as much! So many shop owners have given up; however, we love what we do and it’s become more of a lifestyle for us,” said Prazak.

“I would love to be able to have the finances to hire specialists in the areas of marketing, social media etc. to make Courtyards known to more people. Our emails have been a great source of communication but our web store needs work.

I’d also like to be able to beautify our surroundings, as they are deserving of more attention than we can give.”

Despite the hurdles, Prazak said it all works to help them become a better business and focus on what’s important–keeping and attracting new customers while constantly shaking things up as much as possible to keep things fresh and exciting.

“The past hurdles are hardly remembered as most were considered a challenge to overcome and make things even better,” added Prazak. “It keeps us on our toes.”

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September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

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ynics will dismiss this prediction as “déjà vu all over again” (thank you Yogi), but this time it’s truly different. As an observer and participant in regional economic revitalization efforts since the 1970s, I have endured more than my fair share of empty promises and economic disappointments.

I have traveled with legislators, local officials, educators and citizens to the promised land (Silicon Valley) with the “Golden Connection” entourage to bring the next Apple or Microsoft to our shores. We lobbied governors and state officials for the next project that will prove to be “the one.” We prepared grants and plans to make our region hospitable to new business.

Despite the efforts over the decades, the Fall River and New Bedford metro areas still lag behind the state in key economic indicators. Regional unemployment rates remain above state averages and the income gap is unacceptably wide.

So why am I optimistic now? What is different? Why is the South Coast poised to succeed today when so many prior efforts have failed?

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

A new, successful vision The difference is basic: we now have a vision and a complementary approach for what the South Coast can become. That is the main difference. The tired sales pitch of “come to our region because we have empty mills, loyal labor, lower costs and great beaches” is yesterday’s news. That approach only perpetuated our weaknesses.

The new vision is being advanced through the hard work of the South Coast Development Partnership, UMass, city and town officials, legislators, private sector partners, SRPEDD, and many more.

We are ahead of the curve. We have figured out what the growth industries will be and are preparing to embrace them–and for them to embrace us.

Renewable energy, biotechnology, medical devices and marine sciences are industries to lead us forward. We are preparing for them and setting the stage for their development.

These are premier growth industries, and the South Coast has what they need. We are developing a competitive advantage to ensure success.

Renewable energy sources as a

long-term replacement for climatealtering fossil fuels is a no-brainer.

The South Coast has wind and tide in abundance. The missing ingredient is shoreside support facilities. The New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal will provide this support and is under construction. University-sponsored research is at the cutting edge. Check.

Fledgling biotechnology pioneers need places to convert promising research into products for market. They want facilities closer to their research sites around Cambridge. The Massachusetts Accelerator for Biomanufacturing in Fall River is nearing completion. The SouthCoast Life Science and Technology Park in Fall River and Freetown is in place. They will make the difference. Check.

Marine sciences and medical device manufacturing are highly promising economic clusters. We have two UMass facilities: the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) and the Advanced Technology Manufacturing Center (ATMC) to nurture and advance these sectors. Check and check.

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And we have an identity. We are the South Coast! For years we struggled with identifying our region–somewhere between Boston, Cape Cod and Rhode Island–implying inferiority to all three. Any strategy that relies on investment from outside the region requires outsiders to comprehend the region. The South Coast identity accomplishes that. Check!

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(508) 679 -1071 The South Coast Insider / September 2013

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Joined in song

by Brian J. Lowney

F

or more than a quarter-century, the South Coast Community Chorale (SCCC) has delighted audiences with beautiful, inspirational music.

Directed by noted vocalist Frank Wilhelm, the chorale is agroup of men and women who love to sing and share their talent with the community.

Based in Fall River, members come from local communities.

Wilhelm and a group of vocalistfriends founded the chorale in May, 1997.

“We were a small group of singers who wanted something new in choral singing,” he begins, adding that the chorale’s performances feature a blend of classical and contemporary music, original compositions, show tunes and old favorites.

“I love pulling a group of singers together and creating a magnificent performance,” Wilhelm continues, adding that one of the great joys of being the music director is having the opportunity to teach members new musical techniques.

According to Wilhelm, who is employed as an assistant vice president of

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

the Bristol County Savings Bank, a few of the chorale’s original members still sing with the group.

“We are always looking for new talent,” he continues, explaining that there are no auditions required to join SCCC. The only requirements are a love of singing, the ability to match pitch and blend with other choristers, and the time to commit to weekly rehearsals and scheduled performances.

Chorale members purchase music and pay $20 annual dues; $5 is allocated for an annual scholarship for a local high school senior pursuing a degree in music education, performance or theater arts.

“It’s refreshing to have so many people who enjoy being part of the chorale,” Wilhelm notes.

Join the chorale The SCCC will hold an open enrollment period for the fall season on September 4, 11 and 18, 7:30 p.m., at the Baptist Temple, 700 North Eastern Avenue, Fall River. Those interested in joining the chorale or want to learn more about the group are invited.

Wilhelm says members of the chorale

are excited as they prepare for a concert featuring music that represents the various ethnicities residing in the South Coast. Selections will include music from Portugal, France, Ireland, and other countries. The production, entitled, “A Multicultural Christmas,” will be performed on December 15 at Good Shepherd Church in Fall River.

The chorale will also perform Handel’s “Messiah,” accompanied by the acclaimed New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, on December 1 at St. Anthony Church, New Bedford, and will again perform with the Fall River Symphony Orchestra at their annual Christmas Pops Concert on December 8 at Bristol Community College in Fall River.

SCCC concerts are sponsored in part by grants from the Westport Arts Council, the Fall River Cultural Council and the Swansea Cultural Council, local agencies that are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Taunton resident Elizabeth Bedard, the chorale’s president, notes that in addition to spring and fall concerts, the chorale also performs at community events throughout the area, such as Memorial Day observances.

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The joys of song “We are such a friendly, welcoming group,” says Bedard, who joined the chorale in 2006. “We have a lot of fun when we rehearse.”

Rehearsals are held during the weeks before concerts on Wednesday nights, 7:30-9:30 p.m., at the Baptist Temple.

Members range from college students to senior citizens, who all share a common interest in music.

The chorale president emphasizes that the rehearsals allow members to relax, to do something that they enjoy, and to forget about their hectic day for a couple of hours.

“It’s a great group to be a part of,” she continues. “We work together to put on some great performances.”

For more information about the South Coast Community Chorale, please find them on Facebook or visit www.sccchorale.com

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The South Coast Insider / September 2013

31

DATELINE: SOUTH COAST

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

by Elizabeth Morse Read

It’s been a long, hot summer–let the cooler days begin!!

Time to put away the flip-flops and get out the rakes. Get in that last big cook-out over Labor Day weekend and enjoy the bountiful local produce while it lasts. Don’t forget that the kids are back in school, so drive carefully.

On July 30, more than 400 environmental activists gathered in protest at the Brayton Point Power Station in Somerset, and more than 40 people were arrested for trespassing, including an 86-year old man from Middletown. Brayton Point, the largest fossil-fuel power plant in New England, is considered to be the biggest toxic polluter in the northeast, responsible for almost half of all mercury emissions in Massachusetts in 2010.

n

Across the region Ridership on the SRTA buses in New Bedford and Fall River has risen dramatically since evening hour service was introduced in the spring–even day ridership is up since then. This uptick will generate more funding opportunities and further expansion of bus routes and services.

n

After voting to delay tolls on the new Sakonnet River Bridge until February, RI lawmakers reversed themselves after only one week to impose a 10-cent toll. East Bay residents and businesses were not pleased.

n

The University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography has been awarded a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to serve as the national hub for the Climate Change Education Partnership Alliance.

n

Shaw’s Supermarkets has thrown in the towel, and will close two of its stores in Rhode Island and six in Massachusetts, including the stores in Fairhaven, Taunton and Fall River.

n

32

The recent Massachusetts state budget allows all UMass campuses to freeze tuition and fees for the new

n

school year, and a continued freeze for the following year may be in the works. Seventy-five percent of UMass students graduate with an average $28,000 loan debt. Only five years ago that figure was $21,000.

Beginning in October, all Sovereign Bank branches will be renamed Santander Bank, after its Spanish corporate parent.

n

If you’ve ever dreamed of raising chickens, keeping bees or growing vegetables in your backyard, check out Cluck!, the new urban farm supply store in the Federal Hill section of Providence. Built on the grounds of an abandoned gas station, Cluck! will offer workshops and a library, as well as gardening supplies. Call 401-274-1160.

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If you’re 62 or older, check out the trips sponsored by the New Bedford Senior Travel Program: Warren’s Lobster House and Kittery outlets September 11; Lake Winnipesaukee

n

Ninth annual Summer’s Last Blast The Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts invites area residents to join them for the ninth annual Summer’s Last Blast, an endof-summer evening of fine food and dancing to benefit their efforts to improve the quality of life in our region. The gala event will be held on Friday, September 6, at Round Hill in South Dartmouth. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres and a raw bar, followed by a buffet dinner and dancing until 11:00 p.m. Tickets are $150 apiece, and there are still some opportunities for sponsorships. For more information or to buy tickets, call the Community Foundation at 508-996-8253 x203. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.cfsema.org/donors/donate-to-a-fund/donate; select “A Summer’s Last Blast ticket” from the Donation Fund drop-down menu.

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

Luncheon Cruise September 18; North Shore Music Theatre’s “Les Cage” September 25; Connecticut River wine and rail tour October 3; South New Hampshire mystery tour October 16– and more! Call 508-991-6171.

Seniors are eligible for a free parking pass at Horseneck Beach. Fees are also waived for vehicles displaying a handicapped or wounded veteran license plate. Passes are available at the main building.

We make custom sizes for your Antique Pieces.

n

Acushnet Main Street Formals in Acushnet has been named the 2013 New Bedford Area Small Business of the Year by the New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce.

n

Bristol Audubon Raptor Weekend 2013 is coming up on September 7 and 8 at the Audubon Environmental Education Center in Bristol. Owls, falcons and hawks will be featured in live flight demonstrations, educational programs, and activities for all ages. The event begins at 10:00 a.m. and runs until 4:00 p.m. at 1401 Hope Street (Route 114) I Bristol, RI. It is the largest raptor celebration in New England. There is a modest admission fee. Food and refreshments are available on site.

n

Buzzards Bay July’s “Buzzards Bay Swim” raised $95,000 for the Coalition for Buzzards Bay’s education programs.

n

Dartmouth The Tucker Road branch of the Dartmouth Free Library is now open on Saturdays and hopes to add more weekday hours in the fall.

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Continued on next page The South Coast Insider / September 2013

33

Continued from previous page Stop by the free Community Fair at the Dartmouth Grange Hall September 6-7. Call 508-636-1900.

n

Fairhaven A new grassroots group called “Friends of Fairhaven Wind” has been formed to counter the anti-turbine activities of “Windwise.” Meanwhile, the new voting date is September 9 for the contested Board of Health position that resulted when the April 1 town elections got totally botched up.

n

Don’t miss the annual Feast of Our Lady of Angels in north Fairhaven through September 2. Call 508-990-0502.

n

Fall River Bristol Community College has scrapped plans to build a 250-foot high wind turbine on its Fall River campus.

n

The Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River has a great line-up: there’s the free Narrows Festival of the Arts September 8; Tom Rush September 13; NRBQ September 14; Moonalice September 26; and UFO October 14.

For complete details, visit www.narrowscenter.com, www.ncfta.org or call 508-324-1926.

n

The new $30 million patient pavilion at St. Anne’s Hospital has opened.

n

Amanda Narciso of Fall River, competing as Miss Cranberry Country, was chosen as Miss Massachusetts 2013.

She will compete in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City this month.

New Bedford

n

Mark your calendars for New Bedford’s Working Waterfront Festival September 28 and 29! Visit www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org.

n

Allexia Barros, a 2012 graduate of New Bedford High School, will be playing basketball on the Cape Verde National Team.

n

The Little Theatre in Fall River will perform “Oklahoma!” October 10-13.

For details, call 508-675-1852 or visit www.littletheatre.net.

n

The Fall River Historical Society, 451 Rock St., is hosting a special exhibit titled “Echoes of Lizzie II”, running through October. There will be guided tours on the hour from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The cost is $8 for adults and $6 for children.

n

n

Mattapoisett Don’t miss the “Hurricane of 1938” exhibit at the Mattapoisett Museum, opening September 7. Call 508-758-2844 or visit www.mattapoisetthistoricalsociety.org.

n

Marion A rare, handwritten copy of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Conqueror Worm” was auctioned off for $300,000 at the Marion Antiques Auction in late July. It was sold to an unnamed collector.

n

Get ready for the New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival under the tent on Pier 3 on October 13. Call 508990-2777 or visit www.downtownnb. org.

The finishing touches are being made on the renovations to Route 18 along New Bedford’s waterfront, many months ahead of schedule. However, repairs on the New Bedford/Fairhaven Bridge will continue until fall of 2014.

n

Don’t miss “The Queen Extravaganza” September 15 or “A Gleeful Gala” with Matthew Morrison on September 28 at the Zeiterion in New Bedford. Call 508-994-2900 or visit www.zeiterion.org.

n

A Cranberry Coast Concert will be performed in New Bedford on September 1. For info, call 508-491-8888 or visit www.cranberrycoastconcerts.com.

n

All aboard the onedollar bus!

The NB Line shuttle bus service operates out of the Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Center at 33 William Street, with three routes, covering the downtown area, Fort Taber, Buttonwood Park, area beaches and local attractions. A one-day pass is just $1.

34

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

Mark your calendars for the 8th Annual Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival September 20-22. Learn more at www.newportmansionswineandfood.org or call 401-847-1000.

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Spinner Publications has released a limited edition of “A Picture History of New Bedford: Vol. 1,” which covers from 1602 to 1925. Visit www.spinnerpub.com or call 508-994-4564.

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“New England Boating TV,” a new show on the New England Sports Network, recently filmed an episode along New Bedford’s waterfront and historic district. The TV show previously highlighted Mattapoisett.

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Enjoy free family fun and entertainment at AHA! Night. The September 12 theme is “It Came From a Book,” and the October 10 theme is “Walkabouts.”

Go to www.ahanewbedford.org or call 508-996-8253 x 205.

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New Bedford’s Whaling Museum has received a whopping $1.8 million gift–the largest in the museum’s history–from Dr. Irwin and Joan Jacobs.

The money will be used to construct a new building on Johnny Cake Hill and to expand the museum’s educational offerings.

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Artworks! received a $5,000 grant from the Peabody Foundation to support their ceramics program.

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A walk-in urgent care clinic at Riverside Landing in New Bedford is in the planning stages, and would be completed by fall 2014. It will be a Hawthorn Medical satellite of St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River.

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New Bedford’s Your Theatre presents “Biloxi Blues” September 12-22 and “Love, Loss and What I Wore” October 3-13. Visit www.yourtheatre.org or call 508-993-0772.

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Men’s clothing manufacturer Joseph Abboud of New Bedford was purchased by The Men’s Warehouse for $97.5 million.

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Newport Check out the 43rd Annual International Boat Show September 12-15 at the Newport Yachting Center on Commercial Wharf. Call 800-7453000, 401-846-1600 or go to www. newportwaterfrontevents.com or www.newportboatshow.com.

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Prosit! Don’t miss the International Oktoberfest October 12 at the Newport Yachting Center. Call 800-745-3000, 401-846-1600 or go to www.newportwaterfrontevents.com.

Head for the Newport Playhouse’s performance of “The Love List” through September 29, and “A Perfect Wedding” Oct.ober 1 through November 17. Go to www.newportplayhouse.com or call 401-848-7529.

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Providence

http://FairhavenEvents.blogspot.com Henry H. Rogers Walking Tours Tues. & Thurs., 10:00 a.m.

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

Catch “Evita” September 8-14 and “Once” October 1-6 at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Plan ahead for “Ghost: The Musical” October 22-27.

Call 401-421-2787 or visit www.ppacri. com.

Unitarian Church Tours Tues. & Thurs, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

102 Green Street Tour this magnificent English Gothic “cathedral” built by Henry H. Rogers.

Feed the giraffes and seals at Roger Williams Park Zoo through September 29. Go to www.rwpzoo.org or call 401-785-3510.

Fort Phoenix Minuteman Tours Every Thursday, 2:00 p.m.

Begins at Fort Phoenix flagpole.

Learn about this Revolutionary War era fort. Musket firing demonstration.

Free.

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Don’t miss “The Grapes of Wrath” at Trinity Rep, September 5 through October 13. Call 401-351-4243 or visit www.trinityrep.com.

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Portsmouth What could be better than live jazz and wine on a Saturday afternoon?

Enjoy the Jazz Tastings at Greenvale Vineyards in Portsmouth through November. Call 401-847-3777 or visit www.greenvale.com.

Somerset Don’t miss the “Spirit of Somerset” festival on September 21. For info, go to www.somersetrecreation.com or call 508-646-2808.

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Continued on next page

Farmers Market Sundays, 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Fairhaven High School, Rte. 6 Revolutionary Fort Phoenix Historical Encampment Sept. 21 & 22 10 a.m. Sat. - 2:00 p.m. Sun. Fairhaven Village Militia and the Office of Tourism present a two-day program on life during the 1770s, including camp cooking, musket demonstrations, tomahawk throwing, children’s games and more.

Cannon Firing at Dusk Saturday at 6:30 p.m. the fort’s five large Seacoast cannon will be fired over the harbor.

TOWN OF FAIRHAVEN

Office of Tourism

141 Main Street, Fairhaven, MA

508-979-4085 FairhavenTours@aol.com M,T,Th,F 8:30 - 4:30; Sat. 8:30 - noon

http://FairhavenTours.blogspot.com

The South Coast Insider / September 2013

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Continued from previous page

Taunton The state has decided to keep 45 inpatient beds open at Taunton State Hospital until at least June 2014.

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Taunton’s Galleria Mall was recently sold for $22 million to a Dallas-based shopping mall developer.

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Beginning this semester, Bostonbased Bay State College will begin offering classes at Myles Standish Industrial Park. Likewise, Bristol Community College will be offering daytime classes at the Cohasset School.

ages 2 -12. For more info go to www. facebook.com/PardonGrayDay2013 for the latest line up of activities and vendors.

The Sandywoods Center for the Arts in Tiverton will present The Smile Makers September 13, Rory Block September 18, The Gnomes October 5, and Tropical Island Steel October 11.

Go to www.sandywoodsmusic.com or call 401-241-7349.

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Tiverton Tiverton Land Trust will be putting together a kid-friendly day of activities for their A Country Day at Pardon Gray. This wonderful annual community event will be held on September 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at The Pardon Gray Preserve on Main Road in Tiverton, RI. There will be local crafts, food, community vendors, build a scare-crow, local bands and entertainment. Fun for all ages. $5/car plus $5/ child for an activity bracelet for kids

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Warren Enjoy “The Murder Room” through September1 at the 2nd Story Theatre in Warren. For details, call 401-247-4200 or go to www.2ndstorytheatre.com.

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Get out the pirate costumes and join the gang of pirates who will be landing at Frerichs Farm in Warren, RI, the weekend of September 7 and 8. It’s the third annual Fantasy Faire, a familyfriendly, kid-oriented event with rides on the Snap the Dragon and the Pumpkin Coach. Music, craft vendors, make-your-own scarecrow activities are all part of the fun. Contact Frerichs Farm ad 401-245-8245 or go to www. frerichsfarm.com for directions.

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Wareham The Lobster Pot of East Wareham was chosen by AAA’s Phantom Gourmet as one of the “Great 8” lobster restaurants in New England!

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The Wareham Free Library hopes to build a “Nature Explore” outdoor classroom. If the library succeeds in securing the necessary funding, it will be the first in the region to participate in this national initiative.

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If all goes according to plan, Cape Cod Community College will begin offering job-training and non-credit courses at the old Hammond Elementary School in the coming months.

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The Onset Bay Association is already planning a Street Painting Festival for next year. To get involved, call 508295-7072 or visit www.onsetvillage. org.

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Westport Take the kids to the Adirondack Petting Farm in Westport. Call 508-673-3065 or go to www.thepettingfarm.org.

Celebrating the sea and those who work on it New Bedford’s annual Working Waterfront Festival may just be the best bargain in the summer family fun calendar.

Held the weekend of September 28 and 29, it’s free, with entertainment, food, music, tours of the harbor, cooking contests…the list goes on and on.

This year marks the festival’s tenth anniversary with improved dockside access afforded by the improvements to Route 18. Fisherman’s Pier and Merrill’s Wharf are where it all happens and they are a short, safe walk from downtown New Bedford.

While fishing has defined New Bedford’s role for generations, fishing isn’t the kind of job where you get visitors.

What’s it like on board a fishing boat? Here’s your chance to come aboard and talk with the crew.

Don‘t miss it. For more info, go to www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org.

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September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

TAROT-SCOPES

Our Mission

by The Celtic Cricket www.thesilverwillow.com

Aries – You may find that you have had an injustice done to you; but relax, money is coming your way. Have faith, balance is coming.

Taurus – Fortune and happy days are coming your way, and you also have a great friend that will always be fair to you. Don’t let other people’s opinions affect you.

Gemini – Being stingy with your money is not going to get you anywhere. It is time to open the wallet and buy the practical things that you need.

Cancer – It is time for a rude awakening.

Something is bound to end, be careful of being so boastful, you may lose your job or home. Be cautious. If you feel someone is lying to you, you are correct.

Leo – There is abundance and prosperity this time around, but be careful of your decisions.

Make your presence known as the leader of your life or job. You can be in control.

Virgo – There are going to be some decisions to be made, but there will be a new beginning of something. You’re going to get great news soon. It’s time to celebrate, but be careful of feeling stuck, or getting trapped in a bad situation.

Libra – A new relationship between a wonderful woman and a kind, caring man can become real, if you use all of the tools you have at your side. Honesty and communication are the keys.

Scorpio – Juggling your life can be difficult.

If you are the independent type, don’t forget that you must make the right decisions.

Beware of the people who will persecute you.

You are going to have to fight for what you believe in and avoid all gossip this month.

Sagittarius – Lack of communication will keep you away from your financial goals. If you are looking for a raise, it’s time to speak up! Remember, this is your financial future.

Capricorn – Make a wish! The time of change is coming your way; you are bound to get some great news! Remember change is always good.

Aquarius – Relax, take a break. Think of the good times before you lose your love or worse yet–have a heart attack! Try to be upbeat and perky.

Pisces – Stand up for what you believe in.

Fight for the truth or for what you love; things are plain and simple. Try to let your guard down.

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

Physical Therapy Occupational Therapy Speech/Language Therapy Respiratory Therapy

Catholic Memorial Home, Fall River

catholicmemorialhome.org ¡ 508.679.0011 A Member of the Diocesan Health Facilities

Southeastern Massachusetts Health & Rehabilitation Center

4586 Acushnet Ave. New Bedford, MA

508-998-1188

Flat Screen TV with Satellite n Wi-fi n Recliner n Separate reading area n Located on bus line n Multilingual staff: Portuguese & Spanish n

To schedule tours please call 508-998-1188 The South Coast Insider / September 2013

37

ON MY MIND

A fatherhood recalled

by Paul E. Kandarian

Not many reading this will have known my father, who died last month at the age of 85, following a period of failing health but more memorably, a long, robust life.

But if you didn’t, if you knew a great man, you knew my father. If you knew or are a wonderful provider, a family man, a man who touched the souls of those around you, you knew my father.

If you knew a kind and gentle man who, despite a customary bluster and seemingly curmudgeonly demeanor, was powered by a heart of pure gold, you knew my father.

My father was a man of many words. Often wrong.

If I had a pain he’d say “Take a Tie-eh-nol,” forgetting there was an L in the middle. My daughter Jessie and I once brought him guacamole and he asked what it was made of, repeating it and mashing avocado into “agavaco.” When talking about my Army son Paul serving in the war, he’d proudly proclaim his grandson was in “Agvastana.”

We’d correct him and he’d grumble, “Stop making fun of me.” We weren’t. We were in love with that part of his charm. And that man had as much charm, as he might be wont to say, “As Cotter had liver pills.”

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He was a man of expressions, too. Tell him you had a headache, he’d say, “A cueball and a piece of wood never get a headache.”

Made my head hurt more trying to figure that one out. If we were leaving on a family trip, he’d pronounce majestically, “Thus it starts.”

And during any hurt that would befall us, physical or emotional, it was “When you hurt, I hurt,” and then adding with a heavy heart of solid gold, “This, too, shall pass.”

Well, Dad, we hurt, but are happy you don’t anymore.

You have passed, but what we all learned from you never, ever will.

As do we all, my father had his failings, chief among them his self-perceived failure to follow through on his dreams. And he dreamed big, my dad, always saying he should have done this, he should have done that. He should have been a writer, he would say, he should have been an actor.

That I am lucky enough to be both is testimony not to his failings, but his successes.

Anything I am now that

September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

brings me satisfaction– writing, acting, living life large and most importantly being a father–I do so standing on the shoulders of a great man. As does my brother, a cop and a family man; our dad was a cop in his younger days and I can’t imagine Steve’s decision to be one wasn’t influenced by that in no small way.

My dad was an inveterate dreamer, but always thought he failed his dreams. He did not. He lived them through my

brother and me, and through the grandchildren he loved so dearly, his wife of 64 years, anyone whose soul he touched. And many were those that he did.

He was a traveling liquor salesman on the Cape, coming home with a redolent mix of Old Spice and the bars and pubs where he’d ply his craft, as much in love with the open road as the job itself. He wasn’t exactly Jack Kerouac but looked the part, those long ago days with goatee,

chance he got, to hunt deer (he didn’t get many, but it didn’t matter), to snowmobile (not being at all mechanical, that sometimes didn’t go so well) but mostly just sit, think, ponder life.

He’d write prolifically in the journals they kept up there, with great flourish and drama, the writer in him streaming to the paper through those sausage fingers.

He had a great bent for storytelling when we were kids, making stuff up on the fly, and we’d believe every dramatic word. I recall lying in bed with him once, asking about a scar on his chin.

“Got that fighting the Japs at Iwo Jima,” he’d boom,

Those of us who had a great father who left an indelible mark on who we are, on what we’ve become, on what we hope to be, we are the lucky ones. many occasions, it’s what got us through, and all we really needed.

One of Dad’s greatest passions was “the camp,” as it was known, built on a Maine mountain many years ago by him and his Seekonk Lions Club pals, Bill Whitely, Jimmy Olean, Kenny Gibson, Nick Lombardi and Bob Sloane. They all enjoyed it immensely (If I had a nickel for every bottle of booze those boys drank up there, I’d be Bill Gates today), as did we all, but none perhaps more than Dad, who once wrote a poem about his “Mistress in the Woods,” as he called the camp.

He’d get there every

pointing to it. When we found out years later it was a scar from childbirth, we didn’t care. To us, Dad was always the good guy who fought the bad guys and always won. He was, and forever remains, our hero.

Those of us who had a great father who left an indelible mark on who we are, on what we’ve become, on what we hope to be, we are the lucky ones. My father never thought himself lucky, often cursing the darkness rather than sensing the light.

But his light burned brightly in my life and the lives of my family and his friends. And upon his death, it burns the brightest yet.

anne scurria & stephen thorne

moustache and mischief in those dark, half-Armenian, half-Italian eyes.

And he was more in love with his wife, “Dottie Lotti,” as he’d rhyme from time to time, a rhythmic ode to her maiden name. He adored her, as we all did, and to his dying day worried endlessly about her. “That woman is a saint,” he’d say. And if you knew my dad, you know how right he was.

My brother and I are my father in so many ways. And as such, we had many headto-head battles, as fathers and sons do, as I have had with my own. But beneath any fight was the unquestioning, unconditional love we had for one another. On

The Grapes of Wrathfrankgalati

John Steinbeck’S

adapted by

september 5 – october 6 (401) 351-4242 • trinityrep.com • 201 Washington st. • providence sponsor season sponsors

trinity repertory company the state theater oF rhode isLand

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The South Coast Insider / September 2013

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BRISTOL COUNTY PRECAST n Reinforced concrete septic tanks (1,000-10,000 gallon capacity) n Leaching chambers n 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)

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Riser/covers to build-up your septic covers

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Pre-cast sonatubes

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Non-Settling Hangers Available 23 Alberto Drive â&#x20AC;˘ Westport, MA

508-678-4666

www.BristolCountyPrecast.webs.com

Combine your auto and home insurance for maximum discount Specializing in Kitchen & Bath Renovation Visit our cabinet showroom!

155 North Main Street Fall River, MA

53 County Street Taunton, MA

508-673-5808

508-823-0073

www.rda-insurance.com

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September 2013 / The South Coast Insider

Call us now for a free consultation 360 Main St. Fairhaven, MA 508-999-1598 35 Main Road, Tiverton, RI Toll Free: 888-624-7720 401-624-7720

Retreat a day of inner peace

Jewelry Makeover #4 Fourth in a series

October 12

10am–4pm Peace of Mind Day Retreat

with American Buddhist Monk, Kelsang Pawo This special one-day retreat is designed to help you relax, renew, and revitalize your life. You will learn beneficial responses to daily stresses, relax your mind, and experience a profound sense of inner peace.

Discover the power of simple meditation practices and return home refreshed and inspired!

Cost: $25 | $15 Students & Seniors

Serlingpa Meditation Center

one ring, one meaningful design, tells all the stories of your life.

514 Pleasant Street New Bedford, MA 02740 phone: 508.979.8277

207 SwanSea Mall Dr, Suite 160 • SwanSea CroSSing Plaza

register online today:

www.MeditationInMass .org T O

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S wa nSe a Ma • 5 0 8 - 6 7 3 - 0 5 6 1 • i n f o @P l a n t e j e w e l e r S . C o M w w w. P l a n t e j e w e l e r S . C o M

C O A S T

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We b cOstU uy Jewel mE ry

D iamond special 1 ct. round solitaire starting at $1,999

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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Swipe. Drink. Redeem.

our

Use your Mechanics Cooperative Bank Debit Card 15 times at any participating Dunkin’ Donuts and redeem for a free travel thermos and a pound of coffee!*

* Customers required to visit any Mechanics Cooperative Bank location to receive coffee and travel thermos. Available at participating locations in Bristol County, MA. Customer must acquire fifteen (15) total punches. One (1) punch for every purchase. No minimum purchase required. Punch will only be given if purchase is made using a Mechanics Cooperative Bank Debit Card. Limit one thermos and pound of coffee per debit card. Offer valid through September 30, 2013 or while supplies last.

Built to a Standard, Not a Price

P43 Pellet Stove 43,000 BTU “Come feel the heat”

10% OFF

$ 30 0

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X FEDERAL TA CREDIT IS BACK!

Reg. $2,899

703 State Road No. Dartmouth, MA • 508-993-5577

Open: Monday-Saturday, 9am-6pm T O

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S

Caring for a mentally or physically disabled family member can be an emotional or financial concern.

If your loved one is currently

Our Family is Committed to Yours.

®

E

on MassHealth Standard or

meritus at Dartmouth Village offers quality care for quality of life!

Commonhealth insurance,

Our goal is to have you live as independently as possible while enjoying our many amenities, outings and activities.

you may qualify for financial assistance from Beacon Adult Foster Care. As a

your loved one needs in the comfort of your own home.

Emeritus at Dartmouth Village currently has availability in both our Assisted Living and Memory Care apartments.

For more information call 774-202-1837 or visit our website www.beaconafc.com

Please feel free to contact Kathy Givens, Community Relations Director, at 508-999-0404 to set up an appointment to visit today!

caregiver you are eligible for a monthly, tax-free payment while you provide the care

T O

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— E V EN T S — Sun., Sept. 8, 1:30PM Grandparents Day with Billy Couto & Band

Sept. 9-13, 2PM

Assisted Living Week Join us for an Entertainment Event offered each day

274 Slocum Road Dartmouth, MA 508-999-0404 www.emeritus.com

5 0 8 . 6 7 7. 3 0 0 0

Boston Children’s Physicians

NOW SEEING KIDS AT ST. LUKE’S World-class care for the world’s most important kids: Yours.

Doctors from Boston Children’s Hospital—the pediatric hospital ranked no. 1 in the nation—now see patients at St. Luke’s in New Bedford. Whether it’s the new kid-focused ER and inpatient hospital care at St. Luke’s, or consultation provided for pediatric patients at Charlton Memorial in Fall River and Tobey in Wareham, Boston Children’s Physicians and Southcoast Hospitals are working together to bring enhanced pediatric expertise to southeastern Massachusetts.

To learn more about how Boston Children’s and Southcoast Hospitals are keeping care close to home, visit southcoastkids.org.

Clifton

HEALTHCARE CAMPUS

WILBUR AVENUE, SOMERSET, MASSACHUSETTS

You Have A Choice in Your Care…Ask for Clifton

CLIFTON REHABILITATIVE NURSING CENTER 508-675-7589

CLIFTON ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY 508-324-0200

Compassion Dignity Comfort CLIFTON OUTPATIENT REHABILITATION CLINIC 508-675-0328

 Transitional Care  Short-Term Rehab  Assisted Living

CLIFTON HOSPICE SERVICES (A community hospice agency) 508-675-7583

 Outpatient Rehab  Long-Term Care  Hospice Care

Need Short Term Rehab? For preferred booking status, call our admissions coordinator at 508-675-7589.

Clifton is a fourth generation local family organization that, since 1954, has been providing the highest quality of healthcare services to your community, which is also our community.

Proud to be Celebrating Over 50 Years of Dedication to Excellence.