Lennox is the K9 partner of Trooper Stephen Burgess, assigned to the Massachusetts State Police K9 Section’s West Team.

Massachusetts State Police K9 Lennox will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from the non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Lennox’s vest is sponsored by an anonymous donor and will be embroidered with the sentiment “In honor of Olivia, Nala and Ella.” Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c (3) charity, located in East Taunton, whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provided over 2,400 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 1.9 million dollars. All vests are custom made in the USA by Armor Express in Central Lake, MI.

The program is open to dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate.

The donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K9 is $1,050. Each vest has a value between $1,795 – $2,234 and a five-year warranty, and an average weight of 4-5 lbs. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States. For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts tax-deductible donations of any denomination at www.vik9s.org or mailed to P.O. Box 9 East Taunton, MA 02718.

A mild weekend in terms of temperatures is ahead. We’ll reach as high as 50 degrees at one point on Sunday. Overnights will be rather brisk and go below freezing or near it. Great for cuddling up with the special someone. Days will warm up make letting you hit the outdoors. Saturday will have some precipitation and be rather windy, so you’ll have to break out the hoodies.

As always, click on the title for more or detailed information on the event. Most of the events were pulled from our event calendar where you can find hundreds of local area events each month. The event calendar is FREE, so if you are a local business, and not taking advantage of FREE publicity, shame on you! Are you a local business and want to sponsor this high traffic, weekend guide? Contact info@newbedfordguide.com for more details. Have an event to add? Add it here. Know of another event this weekend? Post a reply!

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Friday, March 31st

“Shirely Valentine” at 2nd Story Theater (7:30pm-9:30pm)
Willy Russel’s one-woman tour de force, an unfulfilled housewife fixes dinner while ruminating on her husband, her children, her life and, most importantly, her unannounced Greek holiday — a trip that leads to a life-changing romantic tryst and a mid-life fork in the road. With every tentative step, the audience is taken along for the ride as Shirley journeys toward self-confidence, self-discovery and, finally, liberation. 2nd Story Theatre, 28 Market Street, Warren, RI.

Live Music: “Red-Handed” at the Greasy Luck (9:30pm-12:30am)
Bringing you hits from all generations, from Michael Jackson- James Brown- Whitney Houston-Journey-Madonna and Aerosmith, to Jessie J-Bruno Mars- Maroon 5 and Ariana Grande to name a few, there isn’t much they wont do! Come see for yourself and let Red Handed be your new go to band for a night full of dancing and memories to last a lifetime! At New Bedford’s hottest new spot: The Greasy Luck Brewery at 791 Purchase St. New Bedford, MA.

Saturday, April 1st

South Coast Game Fest Features Two Days Of Gaming For All Ages (8:00am-5:00pm)
Experience the SouthCoast’s first gamer fest, a two-day celebration of play that’s slated for April 1 and 2 at Mastermind Adventures. The South Coast Game Fest is a chance for gamers of all ages, to turn off their phones and interact face-to-face for two days of fun! Takes place at 262 Swansea Mall Drive #639, Swansea, Massachusetts (Swansea Mall).

Book Sale for Charity (8:30am-2:00pm)
All proceeds go to the American Heart Association. Thousands of fiction and nonfiction books, movies and CDs. Bring your friends. Bishop Stang High School, 500 Slocum Road, Dartmouth, MA.

Oxford Book Haven & Cafe Book Sale (Fairhaven) (9:00am-1:00pm)
We have a large selection of books–most are 50 cents. We currently have a special section for our DOLLAR- A-BAG-BOOK SALE. Coffee, tea, soda and home-made coffee breads are available. We welcome anyone to join us in working on our puzzle. Computers and WiFi is available to the public. 357 Main Street, Fairhaven.

25th Annual Penny Sale (5:00pm-9:00pm)
An evening of fun and prizes to benefit HFHN! Continuous raffles throughout the event. Also include…MEGA RAFFLE, Gift Baskets, Quality Prizes, Craft Table, Children’s Table, Kitchen (D&D Catering), Gift Certificates, Children’s Play Room. FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! Holy Name of the Sacred Heart Center, 121 Mt. Pleasant Street, New Bedford.

Stand Up For Women (7:00pm-10:00pm)
Stand Up For Women is a fun and laughter filled fundraiser offering entertainment by nationally recognized comedians Kerri Louise and Carolyn Plummer. Kerri, a finalist on Last Comic Standing and the star of her own reality show on the Women’s Entertainment Network, can entertain any audience with her warmth and razor-edge wit. While Carolyn, putting a nail through the hearts of whiners, self loathers and the self sorry of the world, makes the average seem hilarious and larger than life. Join hundreds of the attendees for an evening of delicious food and drinks, exciting silent auction, raffle, and roaring laughs. Seaport Inn & Marina, 110 Middle St., Fairhaven.

April Fool’s “Barrel Of Laughs” (8:00pm-10:00pm)
An evening of wine and a barrel of laughs as host and comedian Jeremy Furtado welcomes comedians from around the region and headliner Greg Stone. Regarded by his peers as one of the funniest storytellers in New York, Greg is a fixture at many of Manhattan’s top comedy clubs and independent shows, where he shares true stories of the highs and lows caused by his lack of inhibition. Newport Vineyards, 909 E Main Rd., Middletown, RI.

DJ Saucy Lady & U- Key at the Greasy Luck (9:30pm-12:30am)
Originally from Japan with a bi-cultural background, this Boston-based singer, song-writer, and DJ is known to her peers as the “Beantown Disco Queen”. Saucy Lady, a character with an attitude of confidence and sensuality, she represents in her music what we’ve all admired about the disco era. Disco, Jazz, Hip Hop, Funk, Bossa Nova, Latin, Afrobeat, Dance, House. New Bedford’s hottest new spot: The Greasy Luck Brewery at 791 Purchase St. New Bedford, MA.

Sunday, April 2nd

South Coast Game Fest Features Two Days Of Gaming For All Ages (8:00am-5:00pm)
Experience the SouthCoast’s first gamer fest, a two-day celebration of play that’s slated for April 1 and 2 at Mastermind Adventures. The South Coast Game Fest is a chance for gamers of all ages, to turn off their phones and interact face-to-face for two days of fun! Takes place at 262 Swansea Mall Drive #639, Swansea, Massachusetts (Swansea Mall).

Jazz Brunch w/ Christine Fawson at the Greasy Luck (10:30am-2:30pm)
Enjoy some relaxing live jazz and a buffet style lunch at one of New Bedford’s hottest spots: The Greasy Luck Brewery at 791 Purchase St. New Bedford, MA.

New Bedford Wellness Program For Adults (11:00am-3:00pm)
Special NB Well Sunday: “Sense of Peace” with Qigong, massage, nutrition, yoga, and sound healing. Peace in ourselves, peace in our world.

Easter Mini Sessions with Miss Z Photography (12:00pm-6:00pm)
Easter Mini Sessions are Here! 20 minute session, 3 high resolution digital images with print release, and special rate for additional purchase. Slots available from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Click here to reserve your time slot: http://misszphotography.com/easter-mini-session/. Miss Z Photography, 227 Union St. Suite 412, New Bedford.

Ben-Hur: Silent Movie at St. Anthony of Padua Church (4:30pm-6:30pm)
A special event Dinner and a Movie, with Organist Peter Krasinski, silent film specialist, will accompany the classic film, BEN HUR. A late afternoon church dinner will be served prior to the movie screening. Dinner is optional and will be served at 3pm for $10. The movie starts at 4:30 with tickets at $15. Both tickets can be ordered by mail, or by PayPal on our website www.musicatsaintanthonys.org, or by calling Gisele at 508-264-8010. St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Ave., New Bedford.

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Want to sponsor this weekend guide? Contact info@newbedfordguide.com for more details.

Meet Ryan Caton, 26-year-old surveyor and owner of Got Chew.

Ryan graduated from New Bedford High School in hopes of becoming a pharmacist. He added the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and while living in Boston, frequently used a delivery service that would deliver for restaurants that didn’t offer that sort of service.

Upon graduating and entering the field, he realized that he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life working in medicine. Bouncing around from job to job, he finally settled in at Vivint, working as a site surveyor. Living with his girlfriend and working opposite schedules, he would find himself at home for dinner, with the inability to cook, missing the delivery service he used so often during school. It was then that the idea of Got Chew was birthed and shortly thereafter became a reality.

Teaming up with lifelong friends Will and Justin, Ryan’s idea become much more than they. They pitched their idea at Southcoast E4All’s Pitch Contest and won first place, along with crowd favorite. With this momentum they continued full speed ahead, locking in local restaurants like Two Sisters and dNB Burger, all while developing the app, mobile and desktop site. With Got Chew, you can log in, view menus for the restaurants they service, place your order and pay all in one location.

Ryan’s love for the city he was born and raised in pushed him to bring this to our city streets. His hope is that his team can positively impact the community and local business by allowing another avenue for growth to occur because of their service.

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Faces of New Bedford is a project by Colton Simmons. If you are interested in booking a shoot or getting prints from the series email all inquiries to colton@coltonsimmons.com

Follow Colton on Instagram: https://instagram.com/simmonscolton

PHOTO: Spinner staff members Zachary White (left) and Jay Avila (right) are at work in the Spinner Vault putting together digital books from Spinner classics.

In an exciting and long-awaited development, Spinner Publications is digitizing its large-format, coffee-table-sized books known for their photography and colorful design. Readers will now be able to enjoy the incredible photographs and stories of even Spinner’s hard-to-find and out-of-print favorites such as its award-winning titles Lincoln Park Remembered, Cranberry Harvest: A History of Cranberry Growing in Massachusetts, and A Window Back: Photography in a Whaling Port.

Spinner Publications, the New Bedford-based publishing house known for keeping the present in touch with the past through its historic photographs and books about the history and culture of southeastern Massachusetts, is converting all of its 40-plus titles to digital format. Using a mobile device, tablet or laptop, readers can bring Spinner books into the classroom, to the beach, or on a trip to Costa Rica.

“We’re thrilled to be able to offer history to our readers in a variety of formats without compromising design and photography,” said Spinner Publisher Joseph Thomas. “It makes sense for us to embrace the technology of today and tomorrow, even though we’re all about preserving the past.”

New technology available to readers and publishers, such as the improved-quality of Kindle ebooks from Amazon and the availability of Apple’s proprietary digital “ibooks” on iTunes, allows for Spinner to launch its new eBook library.

The work of preparing and redesigning Spinner books for digital format is in the hands of Staff Designer Zachary White. “I’ve tried to maintain the integrity of the design and the impact of the photos to give readers a true reflection of the original work,” White said.

As electronic books, these early, hard-to-find Spinner titles—such as A Picture History of Fairhaven and Portuguese Spinner: An American Story—will be available at affordable prices. For example, instead of paying hundreds of dollars, readers can now purchase the complete five-volume series of Spinner’s flagship anthology, Spinner: People and Culture in Southeastern Massachusetts, for about $10 per book. Trade paperbacks such as Losing Jonathan, Brick by Brick, The Strike of ’28 and Drifting Toward the Southeast are now or will soon be available for download from both Amazon Kindle and Apple iTunes.

In addition to establishing an e-library stocked with titles, Spinner will also expand its catalog of online photographs now viewable on Flickr.com . The Spinner Collection holds more than one million historic photographs of southeastern Massachusetts and beyond—20,000 of which can be viewed on Flickr.com . “It’s exciting for us to be able to share much of our wonderful collection with the public for research or for display purposes,” says Archivist and Associate Publisher Jay Avila. “I try to help people find images of places, events and people that are meaningful to them.”

For more information, contact Susan Grace at (508) 994-4564, email sgrace@spinnerpub.com , visit Spinner online at www.spinnerpub.com , check out Spinner Publications on Facebook, or follow @spinner_publications on Instagram.

Ali Mahfuz, age 63, of Nashua, N.H. was arrested and faces several charges after he was allegedly found to be high on marijuana as he prepared to drive a bus load of Chelmsford High School students on a field trip. (Chelmsford Police Booking Photo)

Chief James Spinney reports that the Chelmsford Police Department arrested a bus driver for operating under the influence of marijuana after a loaded school bus of high school students about to depart on a field trip complained of a strange odor on-board.

Ali Mahfuz, was arrested and charged with:

• Operating Under the Influence of Drugs (Marijuana)
• Operating Negligently as to Endanger
• Reckless Endangerment

Early Tuesday morning, the Chelmsford Police Department was called by school administrators to investigate after several high school students reported to a teacher that a strange odor was present on the bus they had boarded to go on a field trip. The teacher immediately notified the principal who boarded the bus with other administrators and could clearly smell the odor of marijuana.

The students were taken off the bus and brought to the cafeteria.

Police officers arrived quickly to investigate and determined that the bus driver, identified as Mahfuz, was under the influence of marijuana.

An investigation also determined that while Mahfuz had not driven any of the morning bus routes at the Chelmsford Public Schools on Tuesday, he had just finished a route for Greater Lowell Technical High School before arriving at Chelmsford High School. Chelmsford Police have reached out to the Tyngsborough Police Department, where that school is located.

The bus company, North Reading Transportation Inc., is cooperating with the school department and the Chelmsford Police Department on the investigation. A company supervisor was sent to the scene with a new bus and driver to take the students on their field trip.

Chief Spinney praised the high school students for speaking up.

“I cannot overstate the role played by the students today in ensuring their safety on the roads,” Chief Spinney said. “They knew something was not right, and they spoke up right away, alerting school administrators. I commend these students for their role in stopping a dangerous situation from unfolding.”

Mahfuz is being held by the Chelmsford Police Department pending his arraignment later today in Lowell District Court.

These are allegations. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.

We are looking for instructors who want to help grow and continue making LESSONS known as the best school for driver education in the South Coast community! Fun, easy, rewarding, and make your own schedule! Fast advancing pay raises! Awesome full time job/career with future management opportunities or the perfect part time job. We are located at 808 Kempton St. Rt. 6 NB.

Qualifications:

• Massachusetts RMV Instructors License – Becoming licensed requires:
• 65 hours of paid training.
• Age 21 with at least 2 years of good driving history.
• Cori Check

Job Responsibilities:

• Provides instruction for safe driving techniques in city and suburban areas.
• Ensures the safety of the student during on-the-road instructional sessions.

If you are reliable, have great interpersonal skills, and enjoy working with all age groups, especially our youth, and want to be a part of a passionate team of instructors who help others in our community do more than just develop all the skills they need to become excellent drivers, call 508-999-5397 or message them on Facebook here.

New Bedford Police are investigating after two male fourth grade students were approached by a teenager who demanded money from them as they were walking at Acushnet Avenue and South Street en route to Gomes School Wednesday morning.

The teenager demanded money and chips from the youths. When they refused, he pushed them and attempted to trip them. One of the boys sustained a minor scratch to his left hand when he turned around and made contact with a black folding knife the suspect was holding.

An unidentified male, described as about 30 years old, intervened and the boys ran off.

The school nurse treated the minor scratch and the boys attended school as usual.

The suspect is described as an Hispanic teen about 15, about 5’8’’ wearing jeans, a brown hooded sweatshirt with very short hair and a goatee.

New Bedford police are investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call the police department at 508-991-6350 or the anonymous tip line at 508-992-7463 or e-mail tip@newbedfordpd.com.

New Bedford police were called to the scene of a reported stabbing of two men near the intersection of Myrtle and Van Buren streets around 7pm on Tuesday. Suspect reportedly fled the scene in a black Nissan Maxima. No further info at this time.

Video by Carlos Pimentel Felix.

CITY OF NEW BEDFORD
ASSISTANT AIRPORT MANAGER $63,385 – $79,238
NEW BEDFORD REGIONAL AIRPORT

Supervises. the overall operational and administrative functions of the Airport including personnel, scheduling, maintenance, and repair of airport buildings, runways, taxiways, vehicles and ground maintenance; work with other City departments and provide assistance as necessary. Responsible for personnel management, orientation, training, scheduling and performance evaluations of all maintenance, operations and administrative staff. Manages all Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Mass DOT Aeronautics Division airport improvement projects as well as other airport construction projects with an emphasis on safety and security implementation.

Maintains the Airport in a manner fit to uphold the regulations contained within FAR Part 139 including an active ACM (Airport Certification Manual), AEP (Airport Emergency Plan), snow removal, lighting, signage, NOTAMs, etc., and the implementation of all future FAA regulations and advisory circulars. Ensures that the airport is operating in compliance with all Federal, State and local laws, by-laws, regulations and directives; coordinate and cooperate with Federal, State and local officials and liaison between such authorities, the Airport Manager and the Commission.

Bachelor’s Degree in Aviation Management or any equivalent combination of education and experience. At least five years of experience in airport operations, more than three of which were in a management or supervisory capacity. Must possess a valid Massachusetts driver’s license and good driving record. Must be able to obtain Mass DOT Airport Manager’s License in accordance with 702 CMR 5.04. Criminal Offender Record Investigation (CORI) background check mandatory.

For more information, please visit www.newbedford-ma.gov or contact the Personnel Dept., 133 William St., Room 212, 508-979- 1444. Resumes are only accepted with a completed employment application. Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate is found. New Bedford has a residency requirement. EEO

This afternoon at about 1:35 p.m., State Police from the Bourne Barracks responded to a single-vehicle crash Route 495 northbound just north of Route 25 westbound in Wareham which resulted in serious injury.

Preliminary investigation by Trooper Christopher Andrade indicates that a 2016 Dodge Challenger was traveling on Route 495 northbound just north of Route 25 when, for reasons still under investigation, the vehicle lost control going off the highway into the median and striking a tree. The investigation is looking into excessive speed as a contributing factor.

The operator, a 30-year-old Hyannis man, was transported to Tobey hospital with serious injuries. The passenger, a 29-year old Barnstable woman was transported to Rhode island Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

This crash remains under investigation with assistance from the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, Crime Scene Services Section. State Police were assisted on scene by Wareham Fire and EMS as well as MassDOT.