10 minute read
A walking tour summer
After months of Stay-At-Home guidance, we’re now entering a Safer-At-Home summer – which recognizes the need to get out, soak up some sunshine, and become a part of society again.
Steven Froias
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Businesses are slowly and carefully release announcing the tours, “With these designated Walking Tours, New Bedford reopening – and you is right alongside other great cities where can probably start to patronize some of artists, art and community matter! your favorite spots in a socially distant “Being able to visit works of art outside, manner. and in person now, is an extra special gift.
A good excuse to get off the couch and I hope folks will get out and walk to see away from Netflix is to follow one of the the murals, statues, and other outside art many self-guided walking tours created that may have been hiding in plain sight.” for your warm-weather enjoyment. Once out and about, you can check in curbside at your regular haunts, and perhaps do “ I hopefolks ill some shopping or even get yourself some take-away lunch or dinner! getoutand alk
Following are a few tours to help you rediscover the South Coast during the toseethemurals, most epic staycation you will likely ever take. statues, andother
Ne BedfordCreative’s outsideartthatmay public art
New Bedford Creative has three havebeen hidingin self-guided walking tours, all dedicated to public art in the city. In fact, in the plain sight process of putting them together, it was discovered that over 50 works of art dot The self-guided tours are available to the landscape throughout the city. They residents and visitors alike as either range from sculptures to murals. downloadable PDFs or via a specially
New Bedford Creative states, “Reimagincreated Google map. You can find links to ing urban spaces is second nature to New both on NewBedfordCreative.org. Bedford artists. Throughout the city, They are arranged into three distinct you’ll find public areas that have been areas: The Seaport Cultural District either activated or redefined thanks to – Downtown; The Seaport Cultural the creative impulses of artists in this District – Waterfront; and Love The Ave in authentic seaport destination on the the North End, centered along Acushnet South Coast.” Avenue.
Patricia Thomas, New Bedford Creative TreesofNe Bedford – mapped! Consortium Public Art & Facilities Squad The group Out On A Limb, operating out co-chair and Artistic Director of the of the James Arnold Mansion on County playwriting group culture*park, says in a Street in New Bedford (also the home of the Wamsutta Club), has done something remarkable for the last year.
Each month, they have selected a different species of tree found in the city, and commissioned a column that delves deep into its historical roots. Who planted the tree? What legendary person of New Bedford cared for the property where it stands? Why was a certain type of tree chosen for that spot? What does the tree and its surroundings reveal about the history of the city?
Now those featured Trees of New Bedford have been assembled into their own self-guided map that brings you all over the city – from the South End to Haskell Public Gardens; to Oak Grove Cemetery to the Armory; and from the James Arnold Mansion itself to the Rotch Jones Duff House just a few blocks away – sporting a magnificent Copper Beech Tree to welcome you.
The Trees of New Bedford tour can be found via NewBedfordNow.com. They have been arranged on a Google map, but very well may also be available as a downloadable PDF by the time this issue is published thanks to a partnership with New Bedford Creative.
In this social distancing age, rest assured that it is safe to hug a tree!
Ne BedfordPreservation Societyfeaturedproperties
The subject of a The South Coast Prime Times article just a year ago, New Bedford Preservation Society walking tours have adapted to this moment.
The group is offering their own selfguided tours with an eye on architecture and have launched a special “Spotlight” series of unique buildings on their Facebook page.
Each week, a different property is explored virtually and you can then make your own pilgrimage to the place of
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MuralbytheartistAlex Jardin on theNe BedfordCreative LoveTheAvePublicArt Walk
distinction. They are also featured on a YouTube channel and part of a package of downloadable maps. Access it all via their website, nbpreservationsociety.org.
Buzzards BayCoalition StoryWalks
Perhaps one of the most inventive walking tours (and one appropriate for all ages but with special appeal to kids and grandkids) is the new series of StoryWalks by the Buzzards Bay Coalition.
on Wherethe WildThingsAre asfeatured theBuzzardsBayCoalition StoryWalks
Found in the secluded natural habitat along the Acushnet River, StoryWalks unfold in P.J. Keating Woods, one of the newest properties in the growing Acushnet River Reserve.
It’s 21 acres of woods, wetlands, and waterfront views with a trail that offers an interesting walk with excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing. And this summer, visitors will find stories StoryWalks is through their Facebook page, found at Facebook.com/ SaveBuzzardsBay.
Along the trail, the Coalition places pages from popular children’s books to read while walking. As this issue went to press, the classic Where the Wild Things Are Steven Froias is a freelance writer based in New Bedford and is a regular -contributor for The South Coast Insider and South Coast Prime Times. He can be reached at NewBedfordNow@gmail.com. by Maurice Sendak was the featured story.
The best way to keep up with future
No matter what walking tour you choose to take this summer season, the imaginations of artists, architects, and storytellers will help guide your path through these wild times – and lead you to where the wild things are within yourself! along the way.
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Tracking COVID -19
In early April, the Baker-Polito Administration announced the creation of a COVID-19 Community Tracing Collaborative to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Massachusetts.
Michael J. DeCicco
“This initiative is a collaboration
“The initiative will focus on tracing the related to other communicable diseases contacts of confirmed positive COVID-19 such as the flu and other viruses. patients, and supporting individuals in In addition to this role, she’s been a quarantine, and builds on the efforts COVID tracer for the state since midalready underway from the Command March. “It is one aspect of the work I Center to leverage public health college do,” she said. “Anyone in town who tests students to augment the contact tracing positive for COVID-19, I am notified being done by local boards of health.” of through the MAVEN (Massachusetts
When individuals around the South Virtual E Network), a secure online Coast get a COVID-19 “Contact Tracing” information system managed by the DPH telephone call, however, it’s nothing to (Department of Public Health).” fear but merely part of important rules to That role has gotten more crucial within follow. the past few months and weeks. On May
So says Amanda Stone, Mattapoisett Public Health Nurse and lead for COVIDbetween the 19 Response and Mitigation for the administration and Partners In Health, Mattapoisett area. She, in fact, has been a and is the first of its kind in the nation,” “contract tracer” for 14 years as the town’s the news release stated. public health nurse, tracing contacts
5, there were 22 confirmed positive cases they traveled lately? Do they need any in Mattapoisett. By May 11 that number services? Do they need help with grocerhad climbed to 24 cases. ies or getting to medical appointments?
Her biggest concern over the demo“Then I get them the help they need,” graphic she covers is that the majority in she explained. “And I answer their quesMattapoisett who have tested positive for tions and say they can call me anytime.” COVID-19 are over the age of 50. “That’s an age that is vulnerable,” she said. She said the task of COVID contact tracing takes up some part of every single day. The contacts themselves run the gamut from the very young to very old, she said. In the end, what she’s learned is that her community is “as vulnerable as any other community.”
Firstcontact “COVID doesn’t stop on the weekend.”
That’s where following the right contact severe symptoms. You can’t generalize. tracing rules becomes important. She Their questions include wanting to know explained each positive COVID-19 case about the impact after they recover. Will has had up to five contacts. Anyone who has been exposed to a COVD-positive person becomes a contact.
Federal Centers for Disease Control rules include that contacts are encouraged to stay home and maintain social distance from others (at least six feet) until 14 days their antibodies make them immune? The answer, unfortunately, is unknown at this time.”
How people react to a contract tracing telephone call or an actual COVID-19 infection depends on personal circumstances, she said.
“Some have mild symptoms. Some have
after their last exposure, in case health staff should “Healthcare professionals they also become ill. To protect check in with know what to do already, for patient privacy, contacts are only contacts to make instance. But everybody has informed that they may have sure they are selftheir own story. And it impacts been exposed to a patient with the infection. They are not told the identity of the patient who may
She asks everyone she contacts to quarantine, but, “The caveat is it depends on that person’s circumstance,” she said.
monitoring and have not developed symptoms.”
“To the extent possible, public health staff should check in with contacts to make sure they are self-monitoring and have not developed symptoms. Contacts who develop symptoms should promptly isolate themselves and notify public receiving an official COVID-19 related telephone call. The CTC calls will always have the prefix 833 and 857, and the caller I.D. will say it is from the MA COVID Team. Calls will be made daily only from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
people in different ways to varying degrees.”
The Community Tracing Collaborative have exposed them. (CTC) website notes people will always know they are “They should monitor themselves by checking their temperature twice daily and watching for cough or shortness of breath,” CDC guidelines state.
Stone telephones each contact to inform writer for over 30 years. He is also the author them they have been exposed. She asks of two award-winning young adult novels, what they need, who they’ve seen, who Kaurlin’s Disciples and The Kid Mobster. He else they’ve had close contact with. Have lives with his wife Cynthia in New Bedford.
Mattapoisett Nurse Amanda Stone will be calling from either 508-758-4118 or 508-989-3585; or MA COVID team at health staff. They should be promptly 833-638-1685 or 857-305-2728. evaluated for infection and for the need for medical care.” Michael J. DeCicco has worked as a
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