South Coast Prime Times March/April 2019 by Coastal Communications Corp.

M arch /A pril 2019 · Volume 15 · Number 2

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of color

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In brief by Elizabeth Morse Read

Prime living

New look at antiques

Are your treasures valuable?

Eyes up

by Steven Froias

by Rona Trachtenberg

by Brian J. Lowney

Prime season

Spring flings

by Elizabeth Morse Read

A little help from our friends by Elizabeth Morse Read

Living it up by Paul Palange

Good times

Stop by for a tour

From the publisher

Making masterpieces by Ashley Lessa

Pearly jams by Sean McCarthy

28 What-eight-hundred

by Paul Kandarian

On the cover: Art is alive on the South Coast, with experts and amateurs all stepping up to the canvas. To find a class or museum around you, read our cover story on page 8.

M arch /a pril 2019 · VoluMe 15 · NuMber 2

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of color

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

There’s a silver lining to cabin fever: it can inspire creativity. Spending so much time in the same environment goads our imaginations into action, and we can begin to view the “same old, same old” with fresh eyes and an urgent need to shake things up. As we weather the coldest season of the year, the time has come to get wild!

COPD Research Study NEMRA (Northeast Medical Research Associates) is enrolling adults over 40 for a clinical research study to evaluate an investigational medication for moderate to severe COPD. Eligibility: • Male/Female aged 40 to 75 years old

A crucial aspect of creativity is being able to see something in a way no one else does. That’s the essential joy in antique hunting: finding that perfect treasure that calls to you from across the clutter. On page 12, Steven Froias shares his treasure hunting story.

• A medical history of moderate to severe COPD for at least one (1) year • On standard-of-care COPD therapy for prior three (3) months • Two (2) moderate or one (1) severe COPD “worsening” in the past year (medical record verification will be necessary)

By all means, take the advice literally. On page 8, Ashley Lessa finds local art classes for kids and adults. Take up that paintbrush, don your smock, or sit down for some ceramics. Maybe the sleepy fields around us will inspire you when you step up to the blank canvas!

• Current or former smokers

Finally, there’s something to be said for sitting back and having the creativity come to you. On page 16, Sean McCarthy profiles the Pearly Baker Band, a mainstay of the New Bedford music scene that never plays the same song twice. Learn more about them and go support them live! Don’t let the grey skies and blue hues fool you – there’s a lot of color to be found in the wintertime, if you know where to look.

Additional criteria may apply There is no cost to participate and no insurance is required. All study-related care and investigational study-drug are provided for those who qualify and, compensation for time and travel may be awarded. To learn more about this research study, please call our research department at: 508-992-7595 or visit nemra-us.com/current-studies/

Ljiljana Vasiljevic Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

49 State Road, Watuppa Bldg. Suite 202, North Dartmouth, MA S. David Miller, MD Kathy Dietlin, MD

Alan Katz, MD John McGuire, MD

Affiliated with Allergy Associates, Inc.

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March/April 2019 n Vol. 15 n No. 2 Published by

Coastal Communications Corp. Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Ljiljana Vasiljevic Editor

Sebastian Clarkin Online editor

Paul Letendre Contributors

Steven Froias, Paul Kandarian, Ashley Lessa, Brian J. Lowney, Sean McCarthy, Paul Palange, Elizabeth Morse Read, and Rona Trachtenberg South Coast Prime Times is published bi-monthly. Copyright ©2019 Coastal Communications Corp.

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

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PRIME SEASON

Spring flings Compiled by E lizabeth M orse R ead

Flower power!

If you’re 50 or older, check out the day trips sponsored by the New Bedford Senior Travel Program – there’s a trip to the 2019 Boston Flower Show on March 13! For info and reservations, call 508-991-6171. Plan ahead for “Gateway to Spring” events at the Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol starting in April! For more info, call 401-253-2707 or go to blithewold.org. Join a free Community Pruning Workshop at the Allen Haskell Public Garden in New Bedford on March 6, led by professional horticulturalists and sponsored by The Trustees. For more info, go to savebuzzardsbay.org/discover/ events. Mark your calendar for the 6th Annual Newport Daffodil Days events in April! For details, go to newportdaffydays.com. Visit the Botanical Center at Roger Williams Park in Providence, the largest public indoor display gardens in New England! For details and schedule, visit providenceri.gov/botanical-center.

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Plan ahead for the home, garden and energy exhibits at the 69th Annual RI Home Show on April 4-7 at the RI Convention Center in Providence! For details, visit ribahomeshow.com.

E xplore the outdoors!

Southcoast Health and the Buzzards Bay Coalition have created “Discover Buzzards Bay,” an initiative to promote active outdoor recreation. A series of guided monthly outdoor walks, called “Sunday Strolls,” and an online portal with information about more than 100 public places to walk, bird-watch, kayak/canoe, fish or cross-country ski, can be found at savebuzzardsbay.org/ discover – and check out thetrustees.org and massaudubon.org. For more about state parks and wildlife refuges in Rhode Island, go to riparks.com or stateparks. com/rhode_island. Take a Seal Cruise to Cuttyhunk Island from New Bedford on March 2! Sponsored by the Lloyd Center for the Environment. For more info, go to savebuzzardsbay.org/discover/events. Learn about “Wildlife on the Move: Monarch Butterflies” on March 14, a free event at the Wildlands Trust in

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Plymouth. For more informaton, go to savebuzzardsbay.org/discover/events. Go on a free Seal Walk at Salters Point in Dartmouth on March 16, hosted by the Dartmouth Natural Trusts Trust. For more info, go to savebuzzardsbay.org/discover/ events. Bird lovers! Join Mass Audubon at dusk on March 2, 9, or 16 for the “Wild, Wild Woodcock Walk” to observe the courtship rituals of the American Woodcock at Stone Barn Farm in Dartmouth! For more information, call 508-636-2437 or go to savebuzzardsbay.org/discover/events. Join in the “Full Moon Owl Prowl” on March 21 or the “Early Spring Woodcock Walk” on March 27 at the Lloyd Center for the Environment in Dartmouth! For more info, go to savebuzzardsbay.org/ discover/events. Go on a guided Seal Watch boat tour through April with Save the Bay, departing from Bowen’s Ferry Landing in Newport! For a schedule and info, call 401-203-SEAL (7325) or visit savebay.org/ seals. Get in touch with nature at the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown!

Take a free guided Sunday Bird Walk! Sign up now for the Connecticut River Eagles EcoTour on March 2! For more details, call 401-846-2577 or go to normanbirdsanctuary.org. Go for a stroll at Ballard Park in Newport! Don’t miss the 13th Annual Illuminated Garden February 22-24! For more info, call 401-619-3377 or go to ballardpark.org. Ladies only! Go on a free Women’s Walk at Ocean View Farm on March 10, sponsored by the Dartmouth Natural Reserve Trust! For more info, visit savebuzzardsbay.org/discover/events. Go on a Winter Bird Walk at Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary in Westport on February 17! Sponsored by Mass Audubon and Buzzards Bay Coalition. For more info, go to savebuzzardsbay.org/ discover/events. If your weekends are too busy, go on a free Weekday Walk through Smith Farm in Dartmouth on March 14, sponsored by the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust! For more info, visit savebuzzardsbay.org/ discover/events. Go on a free Winter Morning Out

Hike at Myles Standish Forest in Carver on March 30! Sponsored by the Appalachian Mountain Club. For more info, visit savebuzzardsbay.org/discover/events. Walk or snowshoe through Horseshoe Mill in Wareham on March 3! Sponsored by the Buzzards Bay Coalition and the Wareham Land Trust. For details, go to savebuzzardsbay.org/discover/events. Go on a free Stargazing Walk at Ocean View Farm Reserve in Dartmouth on March 7, sponsored by the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust! For more info, visit savebuzzardsbay.org/discover/ events. Enjoy the winter weather! Explore nature trails or historic landmarks in Fall River, join a walking group – learn more at walkfallriver.org or call 508-324-2405. Go on a free Wildlife Tracking Walk through Dartmouth’s Parsons Reserve on February 21 or a Stargazing Walk at Ocean View Farm Reserve on March 7, sponsored by the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust! For more info, visit savebuzzardsbay.org/discover/events.

Reserve – leashed dogs welcome. Hike, bird-watch, cross-country ski! For more info, go to savebuzzardsbay.org. Go on free Winter Morning Out Hikes at Myles Standish State Forest in Carver on February 23 or March 30! Sponsored by the Appalachian Mountain Club. For more info, visit savebuzzardsbay.org/ discover/events. Take a walk through the Acushnet Sawmills public park and herring weir! Canoe/kayak launch, fishing, trails. For info, visit savebuzzardsbay.org. When you’re near Attleboro, stroll through Mass Audubon’s Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary and Nature Center! For more info, call 508-223-3060 or visit massaudubon.org. Take a stroll through the urban greenspace of the Allen G. Haskell Public Gardens in New Bedford! To learn more, call 508-636-4693 or go to thetrustees.org. Take a ramble around rural Westport! For more info, call 508-636-9228 x103 or visit westportlandtrust.org.

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GOOD TIMES

Making

photo credit: H atch S treet S tudios

masterpieces

Art is alive here on the South Coast. There is a myriad of galleries, museums, and more to visit from downtown New Bedford to the backroads of Dartmouth and Westport, all the way to Fall River. Local artists make up much of the art A shley Lessa scene around here, and if you’ve been itching to try your hand at creating art for yourself, there are opportunities here for you too! Whether you decide to get creative as an escape from the everyday, as a way to express yourself, or even as a simple form of entertainment, art is a wonderful thing to pursue, no matter your age. Whether you’re 9 or 90, an experienced artist or a novice, there are several art classes and groups around the South Coast where you can learn to paint, mold, and craft to your heart’s content, as well as opportunities to get creative with a bit less structure.

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Oiled up One of the epicenters of art in the area is the Hatch Street Studios, the artistic home to more than 60 artists located in the North End of New Bedford. Within 88 and 90 Hatch Street, the artists delve into everything from sculpture to antique restoration.

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In 88 Hatch Street, studio #214, you can take part in the creativity too. Ryan Santos is an experienced local working artist. In addition to creating his own works, he teaches an oil painting class twice per week, once on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and on Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. He offers the classes at a rate of $25 per class, or $125 for a six-class package. Plus, if you’re 60 years or older, classes are only $12 and six classes are $65. Santos notes that he teaches classic methods of painting, so this class is a great opportunity for those who truly want to “use the methods of the masters.” He methodically takes students stepby-step through each work and meets students on the level they are at to craft beautiful local landscapes, figures, and still lifes. More experienced artists are then able to experiment a bit more with style. You must bring your own supplies –

a list will be provided, although there are a some extras if needed. If you’re ready to delve in and would like to sign up, or for more information, contact Ryan Santos at ryandraws2@yahoo. com or call 508-982-2329. Seats in both classes are available on a first-come-firstserved basis.

Make a mess New Bedford Art Museum/ArtWorks! is a major staple in the Greater New Bedford community. Whether they are engaging low-income children with their mobile “artMOBILE” in the summer, providing programming to local public schools, or offering watercolor classes for adults inside the museum, their reach is widespread. Thanks to donations and grant funding, a significant amount of financial aid is offered for students hoping to get involved.

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Located in downtown New Bedford at 608 Pleasant Street, New Bedford Art Museum/ArtWorks! is a place to view art and offers classes for yourself or perhaps a child or grandchild. There are many exciting class offerings coming up this winter and spring. For beginners, one option is “Intro to Drawing” led by Catherine Carter on Thursdays 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. from February 28 through April 4. There are also ongoing clay classes every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and every Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon. If you are looking for a place to simply use a wheel, open clay studio usage is also available for advanced students during museum hours, but you must contact Deb Smook, the Studio Education and Outreach Director at (508-9613072) for arrangements. Another unique class coming up for adults is “Reclaiming Memories,” a photography class that will teach you how to convert film photographs to digital images that will last for years to come.

Exclusions apply • Offer expires 04/30/19

NEW ITEMS ADDED DAILY

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Continued from previous page

photo credit: New Bedford A rt Museum/A rtworks!

It will run for four weeks, from April 7 through May 5, Sundays 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. There are many classes available for the little ones as well! If you’re searching for a way to entertain your children or grandchildren this February vacation, the New Bedford Art Museum/ArtWorks! has week-long offerings with instruction available from pottery to Photoshop. If you know any teenagers who are serious about their art, perhaps point them to the Teen Arts Council (TAC), a program that “pays qualified teen applicants to participate in community outreach as well as to develop art and career skills,”

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explains Smook. “The Teen Arts Council advocates and demonstrates the importance of engaging in the supportive networking and resources that the museum provides for youth.” Your teen could also be paired with a local art mentor through the Teen Artist Internship Program (TAIP), and work in-studio with a trained professional. While the deadlines for these programs have currently passed, keep an eye on the website for next year’s registration. TAC runs from October through August, and the internship program is from January through May. To view all class offerings and fees, or

Are you caring for a loved one? You may qualify for a MassHealth stipend If you have a relative or friend who needs help with an activity of daily living such as bathing, grooming or eating, MassHealth will compensate you from $600 to $1,500 per month to help these individuals.

photo credit: Fall R iver A rt A ssociation

to register for a class for any age, visit newbedfordart.org. Have an idea for a class? Need to ask about financial assistance? Contact Smook at (508) 961-3072. Smook emphasizes that they will do their best to accommodate needs and that they are always interested in hearing about wishes for types of programming.

Great association The Greater Fall River Art Association has been devoted to enriching the art scene of Greater Fall River since 1956. Located in a historic Victorian home in the Fall River Highlands at 80 Belmont Street, their gallery is a place to view the work of many local artists, or to take one of the many classes the nonprofit offers for a range of ages and in a wide variety of mediums. For adults looking for an evening outing, on Thursday nights from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. instructor Carol Lynn Hall teaches watercolor, oil, and acrylic painting. If you’re looking for a place to recharge and create sans instruction, on Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. a group of adults meet to watercolor paint together. Saturday at the Greater Fall River Art Association is a day filled with offerings for both kids and adults! Entertain the

young ones and take some time to create for yourself. Barbara Adams teaches two classes for kids that include painting, 3D art, and more. The first class is for 5- to 7-year-olds from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The second class if for 8- to 12-year-olds, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Then from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. “Teen Art” is led by instructor Arlene Cabral. Materials are included for all children’s Saturday offerings. From 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Carol Lynn Hall teaches painting for adults, a perfect opportunity if you can’t make the Thursday evening class, or if you have a little one in the children’s classes! If you’d like to view some local art as well, the Greater Fall River Art Association will have monthly exhibits starting February 1. Yearly membership is only $25 – an affordable way to support local arts programming. There are also artist studios available for rent for those who are looking for a more permanent space! For more information, call the Fall River Art Association at 508-673-7212, or visit them on Facebook @80BelmontFallRiver. For information on the kids’ classes, contact Barbara at 508-567-2961.

• Adult family care • Family owned & operated • Keeping families together

A shley L essa is a freelance writer from Dartmouth. She spends her spare time reading and traveling.

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APR 30, 2019

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PRIME LIVING New Bedford A ntiques at WA msutta Place 20-50% off going out of business sale

New look at antiques Steven Froias

Places like Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn enjoy a reputation as an antiques shopping destination. But in New Bedford, the selection of antiques is on par with Atlantic Avenue’s – and the prices are much, much lower.

You could get lost for days in the city’s antique centers. The largest ones are New Bedford Antiques at the Cove in Kilburn Mill at Clarks Cove and Acushnet River Antiques in the north end. The New Bedford Antiques Center at Wamsutta Place is right up there, too – and is only separated from the pack because, unfortunately, they will be closing up shop soon. Owner Jeffrey Costa states that March 30 will be their final day (and notes that many sellers will be having big sales before that date). Additionally, downtown is home to the terrific shop Cottage Antiques on Union Street. In the west end, Circa is the go-to

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home for vintage clothing, now joined by MadLila in Kilburn Mill at Clarks Cove. Throw in some funky thrift stores and a long-running indoor Sunday Flea Market

It’s fun to just walk through these places and check out the amazing variety of items for sale on Brook Street, as well as frequent one-of-a-kind estate sales, and you’ve got quite a selling point for the city and a destination for buyers of all kinds.

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The two big antique centers rent out spaces to individual vendors. Each seller sets their own prices for the merchandise they stock at their booths. The antique centers handle the actual transaction process for the sellers. This ensures a wide variety of antiques, collectibles, kitsch, and nostalgia for sale. It’s fun to just walk through these places and check out the amazing variety of items for sale – not just antique furniture, but everything from period costumes to comic books and lots of other assorted ephemera.

Buried treasure Browsing through antique stores is a fun and cozy way to spend a winter’s afternoon. It’s a history lesson for sale, and in a historic city like New Bedford, there’s plenty of local lore to discover. Several years ago, this writer learned of a “lost” New Bedford novel called Lament for a City written by Henry Beetle Hough. Hough was born in the city, but later gained fame as the editor of the weekly

newspaper, The Vineyard Gazette on Martha’s Vineyard. He was also a fiction writer with quite a few titles to his credit. Yet, that work didn’t bring him the renown editing the newspaper did, so much of that work is forgotten like Lament for a City. Lament for a City is the story of 20thcentury New Bedford as told through the eyes of a reporter for the city’s daily newspaper, a fictionalized version of The Standard-Times and its legendary (and infamous) publisher, Basil T. Brewer. Buying the book on eBay would have been easy – too easy. Instead, I set myself the task of waiting to purchase the book in one of the antique stores in the city. For over a year, stacks of books were combed through from the north end to the south end and everywhere in between in search for the “lost” novel. It was a fun quest and a good excuse to go visit antique and thrift stores on lazy afternoons. Finally, one day upon entering New Bedford Antiques at the Cove in Kilburn Mill at Clarks Cove, sitting there right atop a stack of other books was the colorful cover of none other than Lament for a City. The “lost” New Bedford novel had been found! For all of $6.40, no less. It was a feeling of satisfaction to bring Hough home from a local store, rather than seeing the old boy pushed through the postal system due to an eBay purchase. Needless to say, during the search, many other items of local interested were purchased throughout the city. And, each has more meaning because of the circumstance of their find.

S teven F roias is a freelance writer based in New Bedford and is regular contributor for “The South Coast Insider” and “South Coast Prime Times”. He can be reached at NewBedfordNow@gmail.com

Start your journey

303 State Road n Westport, MA

Winter is a good time to spend some time indoors antiquing. So, below is a list of the places that make New Bedford the Antiques Capital of Southern New England. It and Google Maps will take you where you need to go to start your own quest for vintage glory.

Monuments

Cemetery Lettering

Cleaning & Repair

Mailbox Posts

NEW BEDFORD ANTIQUES @ THE COVE:

Benches

Address Rocks

Pet Markers

Laser Etchings

127 W. Rodney French Boulevard, south end of New Bedford

THE MADLILA VINTAGE CLOTHING: 127 W. Rodney French Boulevard, south end of New Bedford

ACUSHNET RIVER ANTIQUES:

508-678-7801

www.AlbaneseMonuments.com

50 Kilburn Street, north end of New Bedford (just off I-195)

NEW BEDFORD ANTIQUES: Wamsutta Place 61 Wamsutta Street, New Bedford

CROWNS & GEARS VINTAGE FURNITURE: 57 Cove Street, south end New Bedford

COTTAGE ANTIQUES: 242 Union Street, downtown New Bedford

CIRCA: 204 Court Street, west end of New Bedford

CRAZY HORSE ANTIQUES: 1843 Acushnet Avenue, north end New Bedford

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71 8th Street (corner of Union Street), downtown New Bedford

www.GunOrphanage.com

1799 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford

SOUTHCOAST FLEA MARKET: 251 Brook Street, New Bedford.

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PRIME LIVING

Are your treasures really valuable? B y Rona T r achtenberg

ne of the saddest sights I have ever witnessed was when my neighbor had just passed away and her children and grandchildren started tossing all her beloved belongings into a large dumpster parked in front of her home. There were unopened boxes of Christmas toys, lights, cards, and gifts; an entire box of the grandma’s prized collection of miniature ceramic lighthouses… all these treasures were thrown in with appliances, handmade quilts, an antique sewing machine, several good vacuum cleaners, a wooden rocking chair, and cooking implements. And then, to make matters worse, I watched my fellow neighbors go into a frenzy as they “dumpster dived” and fought over who would get the discarded items. What was the family’s rush? Apparently, the offspring needed to empty the house, as soon as possible, so they could sell it and get their inheritance. So, why am I sharing this terrible tale with you? To highlight the fact that you can’t take it all with you! As a matter of fact, except for one last nice outfit and maybe some jewelry, in the end, you can’t take any of your belongings with you. If there are items that you presently own and don’t use very often (or at all) and are just lining shelves in a closet, then it is time to consider divesting yourself of some of them before your relatives do it for you, and in a most disrespectful manner. We humans tend to accumulate things. I am almost certain that this process began as early as the prehistoric era when the cavemen saw things they wanted and brought them back to their cave for safekeeping. The only thing that has changed is that now we call “the cave” our home.

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The problem arises when our stored items take up more space than we have in our living quarters. This phenomenon can take place in a trailer park double wide, a floating house boat, a homeless person’s shopping cart, a small one-room assisted living facility, or a ten-room mansion. It cuts across all economic levels, ages, ethnic groups, genders, and locations.

Personal items that had meaning to your generation may not have that same special sentiment to the younger generation If you identify with the statement: “I have more items than actual space available” scenario, then it is time to discuss what is valuable and should be saved versus what you can “bless and donate to a new owner” as recommended by the Queen of Clean, Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.

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Marie strongly advises against foisting your “valuables” onto your children or grandchildren. You may think your belongings are priceless and precious, but Marie cautions that relatives don’t want to wear hand-me-downs and their taste in furniture may be different from yours. Personal items that had meaning to your generation may not have that same special sentiment to the younger generation. That being said, let’s discuss those items that you possess that may have value. We can all agree that photographs have sentimental and emotional value. We find it hard to part with them, but if you review them one by one you will be able to sort out those photos that truly “touch your heart” as opposed to those that just mark a place, time, and event. Keep the former, get rid of the latter. Better yet, scan those photos that are “keepers” onto a CD or thumb drive so they will be preserved forever and then you can enjoy them on your computer screen or your smartphone. Also, now is the time to share these precious historic visual recollections with your extended family so you can describe who is in them, what the occasion was, and create a family tree for future generations while your recollections are still fresh. Books can be donated to a thrift shop, church bazaar, library, or sold to Abe Books. To sell books that you believe are vintage or rare, consult blifaloo.com/ book-worth. Some of your personal property, such as clocks, costumes, gems and jewelry, fine art, antique furniture, numismatics, musical instruments, wines, oriental rugs, dolls and toys, firearms and collectables (coins, stamps, books, and magazines) can have value and should be appraised. Wouldn’t it be a nice surprise to find out

that your belongings actually have worth? By allowing yourself to part with and sell some of your valuables, you can declutter your living space and reward yourself by making some money for a future vacation, to pay off bills, or to buy gifts for your children and grandkids.

A more affordable route If you don’t want to spend money on an appraiser, seek out a consignment shop the suits your needs.

Seconds Count!

Don’t go it alone If you want assistance in decluttering your space so that you can get to your valuables then consider hiring a professional from NAPO, the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (napo.net). Its members are trained to work with all levels of personal accumulation. Their website has a button called Find A Pro. After you click it, fill in your city, state, zip code, type of organizer you need, and the directory will supply you with NAPO members within your region. Call and interview the NAPO professionals in your area to find the one whose skills and personality best fits your situation.

Appraiser checklist

Never use the services of an appraiser who offers to purchase what they appraise.

Never use the services of an appraiser who charges a percentage of the item’s value for the appraisal.

Don’t use an appraiser who has either a current or future interest in the value of the item unless it is disclosed to you and disclosed in the appraisal report.

If you want assistance in deciding if your items are trash or treasures, consider hiring an appraiser from ASA, the American Society of Appraisers, which is a multi-discipline, nonprofit, international organization of ethical professional appraisers representing all disciplines, including over 25 different personal property specialties. While their headquarters is located in Reston, Virginia, their members are situated nationwide. The ASA is known and respected around the world for providing the highest standards in all areas of ethics, professionalism, education, and designation criteria. Karen Waterman is the President of the Boston ASA chapter, which has 200 members. She is an independent Accredited Senior Appraiser who makes house calls. As a generalist, she is trained

Quality Resale for the Whole Family

SECONDS COUNT WHAT A FIND! CONSIGNMENT FURNITURE & HOME DECOR 154 Huttleston Avenue, Fairhaven 508-997-0166 | whatafindfairhaven.com What a Find! accepts furniture in traditional and contemporary styles, and knows exactly how to price and sell that chair no one ever sits on. Lots of people will under-value their furniture – don’t make that mistake! Turn to the experts, especially when dealing with such large items.

SAKS CONSIGNMENT 147 Swansea Mall Drive, Swansea 508-730-2211 Saks Consignment prides itself on offering its customers high-quality clothes in a boutique setting. Whether you’re looking for something to do with your old favorite outfit or looking to buy a new one, Saks has you covered. Don’t forget about the frequent shoppers card!

in all levels or appraisal from conducting an initial home consultation to creating a full detailed report that meets all the requirements for the IRS, insurance companies, estate planning, and tax evaluation. “People call me all the time,” said Waterman, “to ask if their belongings are valuable. When I am on site, I assess the items to see if a formal appraisal is warranted or not. Once, a client asked me to look over their garage sale items to make sure that they weren’t accidentally selling a high-end precious item by mistake. I discovered one five dollar item that was really valued at five thousand. Needless to say, that client was very grateful for my insight.” Waterman will also refer a client to a specialist for a more in-depth analysis if she believes it is merited. In addition to providing a verbal or written summary,

270 Huttleston Ave (Route 6), Fairhaven 508-991-2229 Seconds Count has offered a huge variety of clothes for over 20 years. The store is wellorganized so that your old clothes are likely to find a loving owner. Or maybe you’ll walk out with a new wardrobe of your own!

The TOOL CONSIGNMENT® Store 1225 GAR Highway, Swansea 508-235-1006 | toolconsignment.com Everyone has, at minimum, a junk drawer that needs de-cluttering. If your junk drawer happens to be garage-sized, then you’re guaranteed to be in need of The TOOL CONSIGNMENT® Store.

she helps clients with market placement, research of unusual objects and provenance, inventory management, coordination of moving, storage, and conservation. An ethical appraiser will never offer to purchase your item. Waterman will advise her clients where to sell their valuables. However, if a client isn’t comfortable dealing with an auction house, Waterman is capable of being a broker. She can be reached via email at watermanappraisal@gmail.com or by phone at (401) 595-4225 to discuss your situation and her fees.

Rona T r achtenberg is a member of NAPO and she is The Compassionate Organizer. She lives in Fairhaven and patiently organized her clients’ homes, offices, and lives. She can be reached at (508) 971-9743 or organizebyrona@gmail.com.

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GOOD TIMES GOOD

It’s those three little words that Pearly Baker Band fans love to hear: take a risk.

or many bands a song is an opportunity to play it just like the record. But for the Pearly Baker Band every song is a unique Sean McCarthy opportunity for spontaneous creativity. Playing the improvised music of the Grateful Dead means that no two songs are ever performed the same way twice. Their musical heroes would have it no other way – The Grateful Dead didn’t play their recorded songs like they were done on the albums. For more than three decades, Tuesday evenings in the South Coast have meant something special for a gathering of music fans, as the Pearly Baker Band unfurls its unique interpretations of this form of music rooted in the 1960’s counterculture. “My favorite thing is getting lost in the jams,” says 65-year-old singer/guitarist Mike Mahoney of New Bedford. “We don’t really know where we’re going – on any given night a song could go anywhere. Our music is very intuitive. At times we’re blindly jumping off a cliff and the fans love it. They want to go on adventures with us, and they allow us to take risks. When it’s best our fingers seem to move subconsciously, guiding our

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choices. We don’t find the notes, the notes find us.” “Each time we do a song it’s a new puzzle, and we approach each one in a different way,” says guitarist/singer Kenny Richards, 66, of New Bedford. “We play more in the spirit of the Grateful Dead rather than trying to sound just like them.” Keyboardist Eric Costa has been playing with Pearly for 26 years. “Our fans want us to take chances – they want to see what’s next,” says the 46-yearold Wareham resident. “Even if we’ve played a song a thousand times there are still new depths to be explored. It can still be fresh if you want it to be.”

“

We’re a group of friends who love the music of the

Grateful Dead

“We’re like a bicycle without any brakes,” says drummer Geoff Fortin, a 28-year-old Acushnet resident who has been with the band for ten years. “You don’t know

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what’s going to happen but then it all falls into place.” And things have been falling into place for a while. Pearly is entering its 34th year of making music. Fittingly, what began as an impromptu performance at UMass Dartmouth in 1985 has grown to become a fixture in the South Coast live music community. They have spent the last two years at The Bar on Dartmouth Street in New Bedford, but they are often associated with The Bullpen, a north end bar that hosted the band for 20 years from 1990 to 2011. The name Pearly Baker comes from a lyric in the Grateful Dead song “Wharf Rat.” The first incarnation of the band included Mahoney, Richards, bassist Tim Richmond, and drummer Terry Sullivan. They had some inspirational jam sessions and decided to begin playing publicly, almost exclusively Grateful Dead music. The band chose to play on Tuesday nights to accommodate Richards’ busy performing schedule that included the popular band The Stunners. Sullivan was with the group until 2011. “Some people don’t get it – they think it sounds like a bunch of noise,” Mahoney says. “But we’re not a human jukebox. We’re a group of friends who love the music of the Grateful Dead.”

They’re not alone. Throughout the Grateful Dead’s career, the psychedelic San Francisco sextet became known as the Godfathers of the jamband world. They were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. They sold more than 35 million records worldwide. The band is renowned for their fans who followed the band from show to show while they were on tour, affectionately known as “Deadheads.” When Jerry Garcia, their iconic lead guitarist, died in 1995, the band stopped touring. They officially retired the name Grateful Dead with a five-concert tour celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2015. The remaining members have continued to make music in a variety of bands. “When Jerry Garcia died I didn’t think that parents would pass the culture down to their kids, but they have,” says Richmond a 57-year-old Rehoboth resident and a founding member of Pearly. “So now we’re playing for a generation of kids who have never seen Garcia while he was alive.” “The idea that we’re playing to fans in their 20’s speaks to the timeless, universal appeal of the tunes the Dead crafted and the sense of community the audience creates for itself that people find so attractive,” Mahoney says. “People get different things from a Pearly performance,” Richards says. “Some may come to a gig needing a certain kind of reassurance or a certain amount of humor. Sometimes they just need to dance their blues away. We share a certain love of the music with our fans. The crowds elicit different emotions from us – they bring something to the room and we hope we’re open enough to search it out and allow it to inform the way we play the music. “This music resonates with people from all walks of life,” he says. “Our audience members are all pretty unique, they defy stereotypes and generalizations. On any given night we could see businessmen, out-of-work hippies, or students.” “The energy between the band and the audience is a two-way street,” says 32-year-old drummer Rob Coyne of Warren, Rhode Island who has been with the band since 2013. “There’s something special happening – you can feel it.” “From the beginning to the end of a show there’s a magic that happens,” Fortin says. “It just flows. We’re taking risks with our improvisations and the fans really want that.”

“For some people it’s kind of like a church experience,” Costa says. “They’re very faithful, devoted, and forgiving. With this type of music there’s plenty of forgiveness and redemption required.”

Something Phishy There’s also a lot of dancing at a Pearly Baker Band show. “Many people are at a show for the dancing,” Mahoney says. “They don’t need to warm up – they show up ready to dance. They love the music as much as we do.” An average Pearly show will have two sets – a first set that lasts for an hour and a half, and a second set that is approximately an hour where it is more likely for more extensive jamming to take place. Shows start at 10 p.m. and may last until 1 a.m.

“

There’s a lot of energy and good vibes around you But the cornerstone of the Pearly experience is their improvisation – an approach to performing that rock bands have borrowed from jazz musicians. It gives a performer or multiple performers the opportunity to interpret different parts of a song in a unique, individual fashion – a situation that will morph into an unguided, creative experience that often pushes the musical envelope. Paradoxically, one major key to quality improvisation takes place when the musicians do something individually while subsequently “listening” to the other musicians and trying to find a spontaneous musical camaraderie in that moment. Pearly will improvise on most every song. “It’s a very magical and collaborative endeavor,” Richards says of the band’s improvisations. “It all depends on how all of us are hearing each other. Sometimes we have different ideas as to how a song should sound, but we all listen carefully. Sometimes a combination of what everybody is feeling and doing propels us in a new direction. When everything is working we create something special. When we are playing well it is as if the song is playing us.” The band has a catalog of more than 200 songs.

“The musicianship of this band is truly incredible,” says Brad Magee, a 33-yearold stockbroker from Warren. “You can tell that they’ve been playing together for a long time. The music alone can evoke a lot of emotions. Regardless of what kind of day I’m having it takes me to the zone I most enjoy being in. There’s a lot of energy and good vibes around you.” “There’s nowhere else where you can get that community feel,” says 42-year-old Meredith Smith, a Fairhaven native and an educator from western Massachusetts who makes Pearly a priority when she comes home to visit family five or more times a year. “There’s always that unexpected element as to how they play a song – it’s awesome to feel like you’re a part of something spontaneous and different,” she says. “These guys are a gift to the South Coast.” “The crowd really gets into it,” says Smith’s husband Jeff, 43. “There’s a lot of energy and excitement. The band keeps the pep up – they’ve still got some bounce in their step.” “Pearly Baker is my weekly attitude adjustment,” says 50-year-old Rob Menard of Taunton. “To me it’s an opportunity to go somewhere where people are enjoying the same thing I’m enjoying.” “Regardless of how I feel, a Pearly show gives me an energy that can carry me for a couple of days or more,” says 40-yearold Elise Tetreault, a Mental Health Counselor from Fairhaven. “I feel like I’m among my people, there’s a connection to a community.” “Our band never mails it in, you will never get an indifferent performance. We care,” Richards says. “We never stop exploring, we never stop learning, and we never stop growing. Hopefully that will keep people coming to see how we’re doing.” Richards could not be more grateful. “We absolutely have the best fans possible. They are the most supportive and positive group of people you’ll ever meet.” “When I look over at my mates who I’ve played with for 34 years I feel blessed,” Richmond says. “We’re keeping the music fresh – it’s still unpredictable. Sometimes the magic works and sometimes it doesn’t, but we’re all immersed in the freedom of the creativity.”

Sean McCarthy has been a freelance journalist for 27 years. He lives in New Bedford.

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PRIME SEASON

A little help

from our friends For those of us in the Peter Pan generation (boomers), we all assumed that “getting old” would take a long, long time. We were the DIY and do-it-all generation, fearless and Eliz abeth self-sufficient, exercising madly and taking our Morse Read all-natural zinc supplements, desperately trying to fend off the inevitable. But you wake up one morning and you’ve gotten older, willy-nilly. While we were all in denial, we put off learning about the services, financial and lifestyle choices we’d need to make in order to stay healthy and independent for years to come. Do you really want someone else making those decisions for you? Or maybe you’re a member of the “sandwich generation,” middle-aged and raising children while also being the caregiver for an elderly parent or spouse. Where do you turn for help?

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Ironically, many people shun visiting a senior center for fear that people will think you’re poor or sick or ready for the Great Shuffleboard in the Sky. But once you approach 60 years old, you can reaffirm your intention of remaining independent and healthy by making a pre-emptive visit to the nearest Council on Aging/Senior Center to find out about the myriad low-cost (or free) programs, services, and support agencies that will

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make your life a whole lot easier as time goes by. Your local Senior Center is a one-stop clearinghouse for free counseling and information about senior legal issues, healthcare, and Medicare choices, long-term care planning, social activities, caregiver support, computer classes, nutritious meals, and everything in between.

Let it S.H.I.N.E.! If there’s anything more confusing than doing your taxes, it’s choosing the right health insurance plan. So many programs, so many requirements, so many options – where do you start? If you’re 55 or older, you can start by meeting with a SHINE counselor at your local senior center. SHINE (Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone) is a

free service offered to MassHealth- or by watching online cooking classes at Medicare-eligible seniors and their youtube.com/user/coastlinecookingshow. caregivers. In addition to assessing a Senior centers offer a range of fitness person’s specific classes, from Zumba health insurance Gold to yoga, as well In addition to needs, SHINE counas gentle arts like tai selors also provide assessing a person’s chi and meditation. information on other Scheduled visits by specific health state-supported nutritionists, nurses, health programs like podiatrists, and dental insurance needs, Prescription Advanhygienists, as well as SHINE counselors also support groups for tage, HealthNet, no-cost Senior Care suffering from provide information those Options (SCO), and various health issues, MassMedLine. make staying healthy on other stateeasier. Home alone? supported health But keeping your All of us want to mind active is just as programs remain independent, important – computer healthy and living in workshops, Mahjong, our own homes for book clubs, language classes, movies, and as long as possible, but sometimes, we’ll special presentations on everything from need some help as time goes on. The estate planning, legal issues, Reiki, and State Home Care Program’s network of elder abuse prevention are all available at professionals and home care providers senior centers. can create a service plan that meets your specific needs, ranging from houseStaying connected making and shopping services, home Maybe you’ve lost touch with old friends health aides, home-delivered meals, or you’ve recently moved into a new supportive day programs, and respite community. Head for your senior center care. Anyone 65 years to meet like-minded Senior centers offer people who enjoy or older is eligible for this program, quilting, playing a range of fitness regardless of income, Scrabble, painting or and fees are based classes, from Zumba line dancing. Maybe on a sliding scale. you’d enjoy day trips Gold to yoga, as well to casinos, shopping In addition, senior centers can schedule as gentle arts like tai malls, and special daily check-in phone trips to theatres, chi and meditation museums, or seasonal calls and access to medical alert devices. attractions – call If you live alone your senior center or and don’t have nearby family to help check out the New Bedford Senior Travel you make decisions about your current Club at 508-991-6171. Maybe you don’t or future care, consider meeting with an have reliable transportation for medical Options Counselor. They can help you appointments – find out about the many navigate long-term care support choices, low-cost (and reliable) options you have home-care services, health insurance, through your senior center, or go to home modifications, financial planning, massridematch.org. and access to other community resources. Giving back Wellness & health If you’ve got time on your hands and In addition to offering nutritious hot your grandchildren live far away, consider lunches and arranging for home-delivery becoming a Senior Corps Foster Grandof meals, you can learn how to cook parent! Spend at least 15 hours a week your own healthy and delicious meals interacting with school children, helping with literacy, academics, and social skills,

2008

Family Caregiver Handbook FINDI NG ELDER CARE RESOURCES IN MASSACHUS ETTS

Written by the MIT Workplace Center Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

800AgeInfo.com One of the most helpful and comprehensive guides for anyone looking into the services and programs available to Massachusetts seniors and their caregivers is the downloadable “Family Caregiver Handbook” at 800AgeInfo.com (also 1-800-243-4636). Written by the MIT Workplace Center, this exhaustive guide covers every topic from health care options to senior housing, legal and financial topics, transportation resources, home care options, and caregiver support services. The Handbook’s easy-to-use format helps you identify the Area Agency on Aging that services your town or city – in the Plymouth County area, Old Colony Elder Services (ocesma.org | 508-584-1561); in the Greater New Bedford area, Coastline Elderly Services (coastlineelderly.org | 508-999-6400); in the greater Fall River area, Bristol Elder Services (bristolelder.org | 508-675-2101). These agencies support and complement the councils on aging/ senior centers in your town or city. The Handbook also helps you find specific programs and services you need, even if they’re not available at your local senior center. Another excellent resource is MassOptions.org (also 1-844-4226277), which links seniors, the disabled, and caregivers with numerous community support services throughout Massachusetts, such as the Home Care Assistance Program and the Veteran’s Independence Plus program.

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Continued from previous page

For more info Every senior center/council on aging distributes or posts online a monthly newsletter listing meal menus, activities schedule and helpful articles. Coastline Elderly Services distributes Senior Scope, a free tabloid newspaper which summarizes the services and activities available through their region. To find a copy near you, call 508-742-9104 or query sthomas@coastlinenb.org.

The Foster Grandparent Program at Coastline Elderly Services coordinates volunteers 55 and older to assist in community schools

and receive a small tax-free stipend. Call 508-742-9198 or 508-742-9124. You can also learn about job training, volunteering opportunities, and part-time jobs that support your local community.

Friends in need Sometimes seniors and their caregivers have a special need – like transportation, support groups, respite care, speech therapy or dental health – that they can’t access on their own. Federal Title III and V funding and the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Elder Affairs support many supplemental programs like this through the Area Agencies on Aging and local councils on aging and senior centers. [see sidebar]

All seniors can be provided with legal representation in courts and dealing with governmental agencies like Social Security

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Help for caregivers Anyone caring for someone age 60 or older, who has Alzheimer’s disease or is physically disabled, or is a grandparent caring for minor children is eligible to receive help through the Massachusetts Caregiver Support Program. These services are available through local Area Agencies on Aging and councils on aging/senior centers. Caregiving is often stressful and overwhelming, and trained counselors help caregivers with access to support groups, respite care, nutrition and transportation services, financial counseling and in-home services. [see sidebar] There are also regional organizations that can help you locate resources like the Elder Care Cooperative (eldercarecoopertive.com).

S weet memories

For instance, newly-widowed seniors can find emotional support, LGBTQ seniors can find a place to socialize, grandparents raising grandchildren can get help navigating social services, non-

English-speaking seniors and caregivers can find a guiding hand, low-income seniors can apply for fuel assistance or SNAP, and all seniors can be provided with legal representation in courts and dealing with governmental agencies like Social Security.

As the population ages, more and more people are diagnosed with memory-loss conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, and they need services, too, that keep them involved in their communities. Hence, the growing availability of “Memory Cafes” across the country that offer supportive activities for those experienc-

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There are also many other community- and faith-based organizations that help seniors and the disabled to remain living safely in their own home. For more information, contact Independence Associates Center for Independent Living (iacil.org) and the Southeast Center for Independent Living (secil.org).

In Rhode Island All of the above services, resources and programs for seniors and their caregivers are also available in Rhode Island, through the state’s Division of Elderly Affairs. For complete information, go to dea.ri.gov (401462-3000), elderresourcesofri.com and senioragendari.org/resources.

ing memory loss and their caregivers. Both the Marion and Acushnet Senior Centers host weekly Memory Cafes, and New Bedford’s Project Independence offers the country’s first Memory Café for Portuguese-speakers and their caregivers. So, find what you need for an active, healthy and purposeful life as an independent senior citizen at your local council on aging/senior center! Carpe diem!

Elizabeth Morse Read is an awardwinning writer, editor and artist who grew up on the South Coast. After 20 years of working in New York City and traveling the world, she came back home with her children and lives in Fairhaven.

Living it up

B y Paul Pal ange

outh Coast residents age 55 and beyond looking to downsize can choose from several options in the region.

Estate and Medicaid Legal Services — For You and Your Family —

Oakwood Estates One such option is Oakwood Estates in bucolic Swansea. Located at 500 Swansea Mall Drive, the adult living community consists of 120 rental units in four two-story buildings with elevators. On-site amenities designed to provide a carefree lifestyle include a gazebo, outdoor areas ideal for socializing, assigned parking, weekly van trips to Somerset and Swansea shopping and banking places, a community room, weekly luncheon, card and Bingo get-togethers, cardio equipment, laundry facilities, and 24-hour emergency maintenance. Plus, management accepts tenants with well-behaved small pets. Oakwood Estates is less than a mile from Route 195, and residents who can take advantage of planned monthly activities are centrally located to destinations throughout the South Coast and beyond. Nearby retail and shopping includes Walmart, Target, Marshalls, Big Lots and Regal Cinemas. Rent includes heat, hot water, appliances, carpeting and mini blinds. “The waiting list for one- and two-bedroom apartments is about 18 months, so now is the perfect opportunity to get on the waiting list. Don’t wait until you put your house on the market to apply,” suggests Senior Property Manager Melissa Panchley. One of the testimonials of a longtime Oakwood Estates resident is from Phyllis Biscaro, a resident there since 2011. She states: “I have been living here going on eight years. The best thing about it is no worries. The management is excellent, and the owner is wonderful. Residents feel safe, and we do not have any problems. We all take care of things.” For more information, call (508) 324-1279 or visit oakwoodseniorestates.com

Schedule your Estate Planning Consultation Today! • Health Care Proxies and Living Wills • Durable Powers of Attorney

• Homestead Protection • Wills and Trusts • Medicaid Planning • Medicaid Applications

Jane E. Sullivan, Esq. 624 Brayton Avenue • Fall River, MA

508-679-0535

It’s All About Doing What’s Best for You and Your Family

www.janesullivanlaw.com

Olympia Tower If city living is more up your alley, then check out Olympia Tower Senior Apartments located at 671 Purchase Street in downtown New Bedford. Olympia Tower is a 90-unit petfriendly community with one- and two-bedroom apartments for seniors age 62 or older and disabled people 18 and older. Rent is income based, and heat and hot water is included in the rent. According to the Olympia Tower website, all apartments have new kitchens that include a refrigerator, stove, microwave, and dishwasher. The units have air conditioning, connections for cable or satellite television, and pull cord systems. There are newly-renovated community spaces such as an arts and crafts room, game and computer room, library, sitting area with a large flat screen TV and an electric fireplace, fitness room, dining area, and hair salon. In addition, the facility is equipped with elevators and resident services are offered. For additional information or to schedule a tour, call (508) 997-1205 or visit bostonland.com/Olympia-Tower.php.

Can you spend one morning or evening a week helping adult students learn to speak English or to improve basic reading, writing, or math skills?

For more information call Donna Adams, Volunteer Facilitator

(508)997-4511 x2419 New Bedford Public Schools, Division of Adult/Continuing Education

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PRIME LIVING

Eyes up Brian J. Lowney

When you meet Robert Branco for the first time, it’s readily apparent that he is blessed with many gifts and talents that he generously shares with many friends and colleagues throughout the world.

The lifelong New Bedford resident is always seeking new adventures and makes the very most of each day with the goal of brightening the lives and broadening the horizons of people from every walk of life, but especially those who are sight-impaired and others affected by other daily challenges. Branco, age 61 and legally blind since birth, attended sight-saving classes in the local schools before attending the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts where he spent eight years before graduating in 1977. His autobiographical book, My Home Away From Home: Life at

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Perkins School for the Blind chronicles those significant and formative years. The well-known writer learned Braille in the second grade and shares that he gradually lost his sight as he grew older. “I was able to make the appropriate adjustments to my lifestyle,” he tells, adding that the staff and teachers at Perkins helped prepare him to lead a rewarding and productive life. “The education I received at Perkins was fabulous,” Branco continues, adding that the well-rounded curriculum included academics, sports, and the arts. He shares that he made countless lifelong friends, many of whom he is still in contact with.

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After taking a year off to “adjust to home life,” Branco enrolled at Bristol Community College as a part-time student, where he earned an associate’s degree in business administration in 1981. Two years later, he earned a bachelor’s degree in finance at UMass-Dartmouth, and subsequently has served in a variety of capacities in business, media and public relations, health care benefits, and telemarketing. Since 2006, the popular writer has published The Consumer Vision, a magazine focused on the consumer with articles about blindness and other disability issues. He is a former contributor to The Standard-Times and frequently serves as a contributor to local, regional, national, and international publications. Branco is also the author of As I See It: From A Blind Man’s Perspective, where the writer discusses numerous issues pertaining to blindness and vision loss,

Thinking about selling your home?

Join our waiting list today!

Adult communities for 55+ Join our extended family! Branco authored several books available on amazon and barnesandnoble.com

legislation, discrimination, employment, myths about blindness, and adaptive technology. Other vital topics include website accessibility, relationships, personal care issues, and another of the author’s passions: baseball. In Weighing Things Up: Essays on Trends,

Branco, a member of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind Regional Advisory Council, is a strong advocate for the sight-impaired and others who are challenged and frequently speaks at forums and seminars held throughout the region.

Branco is a strong advocate for the sightimpaired and others who are challenged and frequently speaks at forums and seminars held throughout the region Technology and Present-Day Society, Branco writes about issues pertaining to blindness and the blind, and has compiled 73 short essays tackling such diverse topics as holidays, sports, politics, and social issues. The author shares his humor and love for good food in a fourth book, What We Love to Eat, a cookbook featuring recipes all contributed by blind individuals. The busy journalist is also the creator of two podcasts. One show, In Perspective, features topics of general interest, can be located online at brancoevents.com. The show is co-hosted by Al Hensel of Milford. “I like sharing knowledge with other people,” Branco notes. “It’s a lot of fun.” A second podcast, Sports Roundtable, has five participants, all of whom live in New England, who discuss a variety of sports and related activities. On Sunday nights, Branco hosts a conference call for sight-impaired individuals who live throughout the United States. “This is a lifeline for a lot of people,” he emphasizes.

Never one to keep still, Branco serves as founder and president of Teddy-bear Bowling League, and organizes weekly Branco Events Trivia Tournaments which he hosts trivia competitions at senior centers, adult daycare facilities, and other locations throughout the area. On Saturday nights, Branco and his fiancée Amy Stefanik, who will be married in August, host a dine-out group for a growing number of friends, some of whom are sight-impaired. “I try to have people follow my example,” the accomplished Whaling City resident says, adding that he is always searching for new projects and hopes to soon find part-time employment in media and marketing. For more information, email Robert Branco: branco182@verizon.net.

Safe, worry-free living with fun activities and friendly on-site management Oakwood

– Swansea – 508-324-1279

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B rian J. L owney is a freelance writer based in Swansea. He is the author of “Unconditional Love: Pet Tales to Warm the Heart”, which is available in local bookstores.

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E xtra! E xtra!

In brief… Eliz abeth Morse Read

From the depths of winter to the start of springtime, there’s plenty to celebrate and do on the South Coast! There’s Mardi Gras, Saint Patrick’s Day, and plenty of festivals, indoor concerts, and outdoor events to warm you up!

Food & festivals!

Beat the winter blues! Don’t miss the 31st Newport Winter Festival February 15-24, ten days of nonstop music, food, and fun! For daily events and more info, call 401-847-7666 or visit newportwinterfestival.com. Don’t miss the free, family-friendly 6th Annual Herring Run Festival at Oliver Mill Park in Middleboro on March 13-14! Food, games, music! For more info, go to discovermiddleborough.com or call 774-766-6335. Bring your best chili to the OBA Chili Cook-Off Contest on March 9 at Stone Path Malt in Wareham! For details, call 508-295-7072 or visit onsetbay.org. Tickets go on sale March 1 for the 8th

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Annual Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Festival June 15-16 at the Westport Fairground! For more info and tickets, go to coastalwinetrail.com. Check out the free monthly “Film and Potluck” events on the first Friday of the month through March at the Dartmouth Grange Hall! For more info, go to dartmouthgrange.org. Don’t miss the “Scratch Class: Pasta” on March 21 at Newport Vineyards in Middletown! For details, call 401-8485161 or go to newportvineyards.com.

Family fun

Check out the indoor planetarium shows on Saturdays and Sundays yearround, and daily on February and April school vacation weeks, at the Museum of

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Natural History in Roger Williams Park in Providence! For more details, go to provideneri.gov/museum. It’s time to sharpen the ice skates (or rent them)! For schedules and info about indoor skating in Fall River’s Driscoll Arena (508-679-3274), New Bedford’s Hetland Arena (508-999-9051), Taunton’s Aleixo Arena (508-824-4987) or Plymouth’s Armstrong Arena (508-746-8825), go to fmcicesports.com. Take the kids to the Providence Children’s Film Festival February 15-28 at various venues throughout the city! For details, call 401-209-7585 or go to childrensfilmfestival.org. Don’t miss The Harlem Globetrotters on April 6 at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence! For more info, go to dunkindonutscenter.com. Sign the kids up for “Frosty February Vacation” art classes February 19-22 at the New Bedford Art Museum/Artworks! For more info, call 508-961-3072 or go to newbedfordart.org. Register kids 6-12 now for the Summer Arts Camp for Kids at Linden Place in

Bristol, July 8-12! For more info, call 401-253-0390 or visit lindenplace.org. Go on a guided Seal Watch boat tour from November through April with Save the Bay, departing from Bowen’s Ferry Landing in Newport! For a schedule and info, call 401-203-SEAL (7325) or visit savebay.org/seals. Gamers, team-builders, and mysterysolvers! Head for the “Mass Escape” in downtown New Bedford! Groups of four to eight people can work together to prevent a nuclear crisis or solve a murder mystery. For more info, go to MassEscapeRoom.com. Enjoy the outdoors at the Lloyd Center for the Environment in Dartmouth! Take the little ones to “Nature Discovery” on the third Saturday each month. For details and pre-registration, call 508-9900505 x 31 or visit lloydcenter.org. Take the family to Plimouth Plantation on March 23 and learn how to make salt the way the Pilgrims did! For more info, go to plimouth.org or ediblesouthshore.com. Don’t miss the children’s vacation activities February 18-22 at the Whaling Museum in New Bedford! Let your kids explore the museum – check out the Discovery Center! For info, call 508-9970046 or go to whalingmuseum.org. Check out the 18th-century Home and Hearth Workshops at the Coggeshall Farm Museum! Learn about maple sugaring during March! For details, visit coggeshallfarm.org or call 401-253-9062. Don’t miss the Wildlife Education Series 2019 at the Buttonwood Park Zoo! Learn more about “Sea Turtles” on March 7. Free for students with ID. For info, call 508-991-6178 or go to bpzoo.org. Enjoy FREE family fun and entertainment on AHA! Nights in New Bedford. The March 14 theme is “I Am New Bedford: Herstory, History, Ourstory.” The April 11 theme is “Sustainable Southcoast.” Go to ahanewbedford.org or call 508-996-8253 for details. The Fall River Public Library hosts free afternoon movies (and popcorn!) every Wednesday at 1 p.m., in addition to showings on Monday nights. For more information, visit the library’s Facebook page or visit fallriverlibrary.org.

Find out what’s going on at the Marion Museum of Natural History! Check out the after-school programs and the book club! For more info, call 508-748-2098 or go to marionmuseum.org. Brave the outdoors and go ice skating (and bumper cars!) at The Providence Rink at the Alex & Ani City Center – twice the size of the Rockefeller Center rink in New York! For more info, call 401-3315544 or go to theprovidencerink.com. Find out what’s going on at the Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River! For info, go to cmgfr.org or call 508-6720033. Sharpen your skates and head for the outdoor skating rink in Newport! For schedule and info, call 401-846-3018 or go to newportskatingcenter.com. Spend an afternoon in the galleries at the RISD Museum in Providence! And check out the courses, workshops and “tours for tots”! For details, call 401-4546500 or visit risdmuseum.org. Explore the Children’s Museum in Providence! Go to childrenmuseum.org or call 401-273-5437.

All the world’s a stage

Don’t miss “On Golden Pond” at the Little Theatre of Fall River March 14-24! For more info and tickets, call 508-6751852 or go to littletheatre.net. Head for the Zeiterion in New Bedford. For tickets and more info, call 508-9942900 or go to zeiterion.org. Check out the production of “The Cherry Orchard” on March 15-17, 21-23 at the Marion Art Center! For info, go to marionartcenter.org or 508-748-1266. Enjoy the new season of Your Theatre in New Bedford! Mark your calendar for “Kindertransport” March 14-17, 21-24! For more info, visit yourtheatre.org.

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Enjoy a dinner-theatre night out at the Newport Playhouse! Mark your calendar for “The Lone Star Love Potion” through March 31! “Clothes Encounters” will be performed April 4 to May 25. For more information, call 401-848-7529 or go to newportplayhouse.com. Discover The Barker Playhouse on Benefit Street in Providence, the oldest continuously-running little theatre in America! Don’t miss “Over the River and

Continued on next page

JEANNE FULLER-JONES

Seniors Real Estate Specialist/Partner

WWW.JFJHOMES.COM 774.240.8928 • jfuller-jones@kw.com 574 Washington St, Easton MA 02375

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Continued from previous page

Bernadette Peters @ the Z A my Helms @ The N arrows

A llman Betts Band @ Pilgrim Memorial

Roots of a Rebellion @ the Greasy Luck Brew Pub

South Coast sounds

The Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River has a fabulous lineup. For a complete schedule, call 508-324-1926 or visit narrowscenter.com. Find out what’s on tap and on the menu – and who’s playing on stage – at the Greasy Luck Brew Pub in downtown New Bedford! For more info, call 774-4254600 or go to greasyluckbrewpub.com. Head for Pilgrim Memorial Hall in Plymouth for great entertainment! Don’t miss Ambrosia, All Stewart, Peter Beckett on March 15, One Night of Queen April 11, The Allman Betts Band April 14! For tickets and info, call 800-514-3849 or go to memorialhall.com.

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If you’re a fan of Americana and roots music, check out “Music in the Gallery” at the Wamsutta Club in New Bedford. For tickets, go to brownpapertickets.com/ events/ or call 508-673-8523. Find out who’s on stage at the Spire Center for the Performing Arts of Greater Plymouth! For tickets and info, call 508-746-4488 or visit spirecenter.org. Check out what’s going on at the Sandywoods Center for the Arts in Tiverton! For a complete schedule and more info, go to sandywoodsmusic.com or call 401-241-7349. Find out who’s on stage the District Center for the Arts in Taunton! For more

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Fellswater @ Sandywoods

info and tickets, call 508-386-9413 or visit thedistrictcenterforarts.com. Head for Running Brook Vineyards in Dartmouth for free live music every weekend year-round! For info, go to runningbrookwine.com/entertainment. or call 508-985-1998. Get back to your musical roots with Common Fence Music! Don’t miss the free Barn Dance with The Rusty Pickup String Band February 24 at Emmanuel Church in Newport! For info, call 401-683-5085 or go to commonfencemusic.org. Head for the Zeiterion! For tickets and more info, call 508-994-2900 or go to zeiterion.org.

Through the Woods” March 15-17, 22-24. For more info, go to playersri.org or call 401-273-0590. Mark your calendar for the new season at Trinity Rep in Providence! “Macbeth” will be performed through March 3, “An Iliad” through February 20. “The Song of Summer” will be performed March 14 to April 14. For more info, call 401-351-4242 or go to trinityrep.com.

Classical acts

Listen to performances of the South Coast Chamber Music Series! Plan ahead for “Purple Passions” March 23 at St. Gabriel’s Church in Marion and March 24 at St. Peter’s Church in South Dartmouth. For tickets, go to nbsymphony.org/ southcoast-chamber-music-series or call 508-999-6276. Enjoy the 94th season of the Fall River Symphony Orchestra at Bristol Community College! Don’t miss the Winter Concert on March 10! For info, go to fallriversymphonyorchestra.org. Listen to the performances of the Tri-County Symphonic Band! Don’t miss the performance of “Postcards from Buzzards Bay” on March 24 at Tabor Academy in Marion! For tickets and info, visit tricountysymphonicband.org. Don’t miss the performances of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra at the Zeiterion! “Roses and Thorns” will be performed on February 16, “Movie Night: The Sequel” on March 9. For more info, call 508-999-6276 or go to zeiterion.org. Plan ahead for the Newport String Project’s collaborative concert with the Apple Hill String Quartet on April 14! For more info, visit newportstringproject.org. Don’t miss the Plymouth Philharmonic performing “The Phil Family Concert” on March 10 and “Magnificence in Spring” on March 30 at Pilgrim Memorial Hall in Plymouth! For info and tickets, call 508-746-8008 or go to memorialhall.com. Buy your tickets early for the Pilgrim Festival Chorus’ performance of Mozart’s “Requiem in D Minor” on April 27 at St. Bonaventure Parish in Plymouth! For info, go to pilgrimfestivalchorus.org. Don’t miss the piano duo Stephanie & Saar on March 23 at Goff Memorial Hall in Rehoboth, part of the Arts in the Village series! For more info, visit rehobothantiquarian.org

Mark your calendars for the next Concerts at the Point in Westport with a performance by the musicians and singers of the Handel & Haydn Society March 17. For more info, call 508-636-0698 or go to concertsatthepoint.org.

Living history

Journey through time and discover a sailor’s life at Battleship Cove in Fall River, America’s Fleet Museum (508-6781000 or battleshipcove.org) or explore the murky depths at the DIVE! exhibit at the Maritime Museum (508-674-3533 or battleshipcove.org/maritime-museum). Explore the past at the Lafayette-Durfee House in Fall River! For info, go to lafayettedurfeehouse.org. Visit the whaling-era mansion and gardens at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House in New Bedford! For more info, call 508-997-1401 or go to rjdmuseum.org. Explore the region’s military history at the Fort Taber-Fort Rodman Military Museum in New Bedford! For info, call 508-994-3938 or visit forttaber.org. If you’re interested in the history of Japan-America ties, visit the WhitfieldManjiro Friendship House in Fairhaven, where it all began. Call 508-995-1219 or go to wmfriendshiphouse.org for details.

One-of-a-kind-events

Don’t miss the spectacular St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Newport, rain or shine! For date and details, visit newportirish.com. Enjoy an art lesson while drinking a Buzzards Bay Brewing beer at the Dedee Shattuck Gallery in Westport on March 2! “Brushes and Brews” is sponsored by the Westport River Watershed Alliance. For more info, go to savebuzzardsbay.org/ discover/events. Bird lovers! Join Mass Audubon at dusk on March 2, 9, or 16 for the “Wild, Wild Woodcock Walk” to observe the courtship rituals of the American Woodcock at Stone Barn Farm in Dartmouth! For info, go to savebuzzardsbay.org/discover/ events or call 508-636-2437. Attend a lecture about Monarch Butterflies on March 2 at the Millicent Library in Fairhaven! For more info, go to fairhaventours.com or call 508-979-4085. Buy the best fishing gear for the season at the Fishing Show for Small Businesses on March 16 at the Holiday

Inn in Taunton! For details and info, go to ediblesouthshore.com. If you’re 50 or older, check out the day trips sponsored by the New Bedford Senior Travel Program! There’s a trip to Foxwoods Casino on March 12, the 2019 Boston Flower Show on March 13, “Phantom of the Opera” at the PPAC on March 21, and Parker’s Maple Barn March 27. For info and reservations, call 508-991-6171. Explore the Newport Car Museum in Portsmouth! Sixty-plus vintage cars and driving simulators! For more info, visit newportcarmuseum.org or call 401-8482277. Check out the exhibits, musical performances and dock-u-mentaries at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center! For more info, call 508-993-8894 or visit fishingheritagecenter.org.

Winter farmers markets

Fill your baskets with local produce, baked goods and holiday decorations! To find a farm, vineyard or winter farmers market near you, visit semaponline.org, pickyourown.org, farmfreshri.org, or localharvest.org. To find food and wine events, go to farmcoast.com, coastalwinetrail.com, or ediblesouthshore.com.

Sharing the bounty

The Salvation Army is always willing to accept bagged/boxed donations – clothing, books, furniture, and housewares. To schedule a free pickup, go to satruck.org/ pickup. Pet Food Aid collects pet food and pet supplies and distributes them to food banks and senior centers throughout Bristol County MA. Volunteers and donations gratefully accepted. For more info, visit petfoodaid.org or call 774-204-5227. My Brother’s Keeper of Dartmouth and Easton is looking for volunteers and gently-used residential furniture for South Coast families in need. Free pick up. Visit mybrotherskeeper.org or call 774-305-4577.

For a complete calendar of events, visit coastalmags.com

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GOOD TIMES

What-eight-hundred As we get older, we find it much more difficult to tolerate time-wasting nonsense. If you’re older and reading that statement, you’re going “No kidding, ya dope.” Paul K andarian Which would make my point. Anyway, at my local CVS recently, due to some weird computer glitch or whatever, I thought I got double charged for a prescription. The nice folks there couldn’t tell but said to check my bank statement later, which I did and sure enough, I got whacked $25 twice. So I called the CVS store, and was told to call 800-SHOP-CVS because if you really want to annoy customers, give them a phone “number” that is comprised of letters, making them don their cryptographer hat to break the phone code. I called (at the risk of breaching national drugstore chain security, the number behind the silly acronym is 800-746-7287) and after punching 19 numbers to reach a human who asked me to confirm my identity by asking 65 questions and requesting my mother’s maiden name as well as a blood sample and fingerprints, finally got around to asking “What can I help you with today?” I thought for a second and answered truthfully: “To be honest, it was so long ago I forgot.” No response. No chuckle. No nothing. Crickets. I’d get more laughs doing standup comedy at a cadaver convention. We soldiered on. She humorlessly looked into my situation and said that because of the sluggish CVS computer system, they could not look up today’s transaction and to check my online bank statement in 48 hours. She said if it’s still a double charge, to call back America’s favorite cryptogram, 800-SHOP-CVS. “So it takes seconds to double charge me,” I asked, “but two full days to fix it?” “Yes sir, I’m sorry.” “Well,” I said with a laugh as a way of letting her know I was about to say something allegedly funny, “as long as CVS

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can continue to spit out three-foot-long receipts, that’s just fine.” No response. No chuckle. No nothing. Crickets. I gotta work on my material. Or get an audience with a pulse. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience Mr. Kandarian. Is there anything else I can help you with today?” Yeah, take two humor pills and call me in 48 hours. I’ll be waiting with my decoder ring.

If you really want to annoy customers, give them a phone “number” that is comprised of letters, making them don their cryptographer hat to break the code One bad thing of roughly 32 million bad things about turning 65 is going on Medicare and having to deal with calling Social Security. You should never call Social Security. If you do, plan on spending three birthdays on hold. I’m serious. I called a couple times, was on hold forever, and another time I called they said, literally, “We’re too busy to answer your call now. Try later. Bye.” Your tax dollars at work. Or not. It’s like Social Security is on its own permanent government shutdown. Or a waiting game – you die on hold, they don’t need to continue benefits. Anyway, I figured I’d just go to a Social Security office, since there’s one where I live and I thought it might be faster since all I needed was ask a simple question about benefits. Big mistake. I’m not sure if all Social Security offices are the same but this one was stuffed with 100 or so abjectly miserable people who were coughing and complaining and drowning in the sheer depths of horrific unhappiness. I thought I’d either died on the way in and this was hell, or I’d

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stumbled into a dysfunctional family reunion. Honestly, it was like a giant bitchy petri dish of airborne communicable diseases in there. I was sorry I didn’t wear a hazmat suit. I noticed they had an armed guard at the door. Think about that. A man with a gun at Social Security. Do they even have armed guards at banks anymore? Or is this where bank guards go when they retire and go on Social Security? The whole thing was surreal, noisy and chaotic. Know that scene in “Goodfellas” where Karen visits Henry in jail and it’s a madhouse in the visiting area? I’m pretty sure they filmed that at a Social Security office. The people who worked there looked sullen and morose and steeped in the misery of thankless unemployment. In short, they could be TSA agents. If Sarah Sanders Hucksterabee loses her job at the Super White House, she could easily get an automaton gig at Social Security. I lasted all of ten minutes before I left, went home, and tried the MyMedicare. gov live chat option with an alleged real human named “Benjamin” which, as you’d expect from Social Security, proved absolutely useless. But the end of it went like this: Benjamin (the human or the robot, I’ll never know): “Do you have any other general MyMedicare.gov questions that I can help you with?” Me: “No, I visited a local Social Security office today and frankly it was like a holding area for extras in a Tim Burton film. I’ll take my chances on a hellishly long phone wait instead.” No response. No chuckle. No nothing. Crickets. Then this: Benjamin: “Thank you for contacting MyMedicare.gov Live Chat. We are here to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Have a nice day.” Next time I’ll just call 800-DIE-ONHOLD.

Paul K andarian is a lifelong area resident and has been a professional writer, since 1982, as columnist, contributor in national magazines, websites and other publications.

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Clifton

REHABILITATIVE NURSING CENTER

Certified Post Acute Care  Short-Term Rehab  Post Acute Care  Transitional Care  Long-Term Care

Clifton is the first facility in Bristol County to earn this Post Acute Care Certification by the Joint Commission, and one of only a few organizations statewide. The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval® is a national symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient and resident care. The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization for the accreditation of health care organizations.

Do You Need Short-Term Rehab / Post Acute Care? You have a choice in your care… Tell your healthcare provider you PREFER Clifton… And, Call our Admissions Coordinator… 508-675-7589 For priority placement. 500 WILBUR AVENUE, SOMERSET, MA  508-675-7589