Being a fanatic foodie, I have a top ten list of restaurants that I feel I must eat at once a week or minimum, a few times a month or life feels like it’s missing something. There’s a hole in my food soul.

Hey, we all have our vices. One of mine is the total dining experience – being around the best people in my circle, at a local eatery with a warm, professional staff, and succumbing to heavenly aromas, gorgeous presentations, and mouth watering fare. Hopefully, there’s some wine in the mix somewhere.

It’s rather difficult these days – uncommon at least – to find a place that is a perfect “storm” of these elements. When I have a superlative dining experiences, I have the intention to visit these places as often as possible, like visiting a loyal, old friend. I enjoy the banter that comes with being a frequent, regular customer and I particularly enjoy feeling like I’m valued for it.

Recently opened Ming Sushi on 774 Purchase Street in downtown New Bedford is exactly one of these places. An eatery where you will have a total dining experience – with all the sights, sounds, aromas that you would expect from one of the best. The owners are husband and wife Kexi and Mei Chen, Mei’s sister-in-law Miya Lin and brother-in-law Jia Lin making Ming Sushi a family-owned business. To say I was excited when I heard a sushi place was opening up downtown is an understatement. Actually, my excitement was accompanied with suspicion.

You see, some people take politics or religion quite seriously. Others place tattoo collecting, activities with adrenaline rushes, or their wine on a high pedestal. Me? I take sushi very seriously. The art and science of making sushi is itself a serious endeavor. It takes 10 years or more to even get to the point where you can serve sushi and in fact, one’s first 3 years as an apprentice is spent making rice. Just rice.

So each plate isn’t just about how stunning the display is. Each mouthful isn’t just about the delicious factor. Each bite is about an experience. You are tasting a piece of sushi that at a minimum took a decade to reach your mouth.

I say this with complete and total zeal: Ming Sushi is one of the finest sushi establishments on planet earth. Don’t be fooled by the fact that they have an “All You Can Eat” offering? The sushi that you receive is as good as anywhere I have ever been – and I’ve tried it all over the world. Any hardcore sushi-head can tell you from the first bite how fresh the seafood is, how perfectly cooked and moist the rice is – and at the end of the day, how darn delicious it is.

This is New Bedford, one of the top seafood ports on the planet – there should have been a sushi eatery in the heart of downtown a long time ago. On top of that, the seafood should ALWAYS be served fresh. There is no excuse for serving processed seafood – like many places do. Ming Sushi serves the freshest and that makes a huge difference is taste.

Moreover, I’d like to add that this goes far beyond sushi. In spite of the name, Ming Sushi has a full menu of “non-raw” items:

• Tempura – vegetables or seafood battered and deep fried, served with various sauces.
• Hibachi – grilled meats served with mixed vegetables, fried or white rice with Miso soup and salad.
• Teriyaki – meats or vegetables covered in a sweet, salty sauce and served with Miso Soup, and fried or white rice.
• Katsu – breaded, deep fried chicken cutlet served with a tangy, sweet, flavorful sauce.
• Udon noodle – thick wheat noodles served pan fried or hot pot style, served with Miso soup or salad.
• Bento Box – A full lunch “box” of katsu, teriyaki, or hibachi meat (chicken, beef, shrimp, salmon) or vegetables served with soup, salad, California Roll, Spring Roll, fried or white rice.

In addition they have Miso soup, fried rice, jalapeno poppers tempura, and more. Gyoza (dumplings), spring rolls, and eight types of salad round out the menu. So that means if you are a sushi junkie, like me, yet have some friends who are more reserved in their dining habits, you don’t have to leave them in the dust and eat without them.

There is a wide variety of appetizers, and of course you can order your sushi a la carte. These options are available for lunch or dinner or just any old time. The popular “All You Can Eat” lunch is $14.95 (7-12 years old – $7.99, 3-6 years – $3.99) and the dinner service is $19.95 (7-12 years old – $10.99, 3-6 years – $4.99)

Ming Sushi is a place that takes your dining experience seriously. Here is a restaurant that in less than a year’s time has made my top ten list. If online testimonials (45 – 5 star reviews out of 50) won’t convince you, take a walk by Ming Sushi and see how packed the place is!

I love that Ming Sushi is a family owned business and it certainly has that “vibe.” When I asked Mei what attracted her to New Bedford she stated, “New Bedford was our first pick – we love the downtown area because it is full of historic architecture and we think New Bedford has a lot of potential. We wanted to add something new, something fantastic and thought Japanese food would add more variety to this city!”

Ming Sushi just does Japanese perfectly. I look forward to seeing the sister’s smiling faces on a regular basis. Mmmmmm….I’m getting hungry. Time for some Teriyaki steak. I’ll see you there!

Ming Sushi
774 Purchase St
New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740
Phone: (508) 999-1113
Email: mingsushima@gmail.com
*Reservations are appreciated and necessary if the party is over 6

Monday – Thursday: 11am-9:30pm
Friday -Saturday: 11am- 10:30 pm
Sunday: Closed
Holidays: 11am- 9:30pm (dinner served all day)

Facebook: facebook.com/pages/MING-SUSHI
Website: mingsushima.com

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In this day and age, a vast number of the population utilizes and relies heavily upon technology. We are more “connected” than ever and the demand does not seem to be slowing down one…megabyte…er, iota.

Our smart-phones, tablets and computers keep us instantly connected with friends and family – and maintain our businesses. We find out the latest news about our neighborhood, country or beyond. We get updates on the most recent scientific discoveries as they happen and access to our databases, inventory and general ledgers. Our devices are store-houses of photo albums of our fondest memories. We record the important people in our lives, momentous events, places we’ve been to and eaten at, selfies, etc.

So it goes without saying, having those devices “down,” inoperable, or not functioning at their best, puts a real damper on things. Getting a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death), malware, virus, or having a device that is unresponsive or moves at a snail’s pace is a real bummer. Life stalls, and we want to get back on track as soon as possible.

Because of the importance of these devices and the role they play in everyday life, wouldn’t it be nice to have a go-to guy that knows exactly what the problem is when they arise and then repairs it quickly? Imagine someone who can finish your sentence as you are describing your issue. Someone that not only does that, but tells you right then and there that they not only know what the problem is, but know how to fix it and when you can come back and get your device.

We use a lot of technology in this day and age. Even an hour without one of our devices is a serious hit. It’s one we can’t afford. We need someone that we can trust our data with, that will get us back up and running as fast as possible, and without breaking the bank.

Evo Systems is the area’s premier computer repair and maintenance facility. Josh, Joe, Matt, and Marcus are the guys to trust to get the freight train back on track. They consistently handle the worst that you can throw at them and it’s obvious they have something personal with technological breakdowns. They see each one of our problems as a personal attack! They often joke about having something that can give them a genuine challenge, perhaps something they haven’t heard about yet.

While often they know straight away what the problem likely is, to be on the safe side, they run a full diagnostics overnight- which is ALWAYS free. Then they give you a call back telling you everything that they found, ask what it is that you want to do, and let you know how much it will be. You can then ask any questions you might have, give them consent to do the work, or say “No.” that you don’t want the work done. You don’t pay until you pick it up.

Josh, Joe, Matt, and Marcus are not just the employees, but they are the owners. We all know that it’s difficult to find really good staff – people who will be as passionate about the business as the owner is. What you get at Evo is that same passion and eagerness. They thoroughly understand how important each and every customer that walks through the door is.

They have such confidence in what they do that all of their services are guaranteed and their parts are warrantied. Combined they have over a half century of experience, and everyone is at a minimum is A+ certified, some have even more accreditation.

One of the points that they emphasized over and again is that it is best to be preventative about our technology. Don’t wait until the device completely stops working to bring it in. Regular maintenance – at least one a year – often turns out to be a wise decision, and one that ultimately costs you less. Get regular system tune-ups to catch a virus before it does real damage, close up security gaps that could lead to identity theft or data corruption/loss.

Ironically, this piece of advice is a proverbial “shooting oneself in the foot.” The guys at Evo Systems stand to make more money by repairing your defunct devices as opposed to cleaning and maintaining it at a cheaper rate.

In addition to offering state of the art computer diagnostics, virus and malware removal, system tune-ups, Evo Systems have new and refurbished notebook computers and desktops, and plenty of accessories. So you can not only get your computers repaired, but you can purchase some extras.

They are quite adept at upgrading hardware, doing full custom computer builds, do full security review and protection, networking design, maintenance and installation, and much, much more. Want to know more about what Evo Systems does? Go here for a full list of their services.

Evo Systems are also proud to give back to their community and are supporters of Youth Build and the Schwartz Center For Children.

If you have a computer that just seems to hate you and refuses to co-operate, need IT solutions for your business, feel you have a computer virus, or just genuinely stumped – give Evo Systems a call, so you can say goodbye to those computer blues!

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Evo Systems, LLC
1 Chace Rd. Unit 9
East Freetown, Massachusetts, 02717
Phone: (774) 202-2869
Email: support@thinkevo.com
Mon – Fri: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sat: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Facebook: facebook.com/EvoSystems
Website: thinkevo.com/

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Organizers of New Bedford’s Veterans Day Parade today announced that more than one dozen veterans’ organizations and seven different bands, including the award-winning New Bedford High School and Dartmouth High School marching bands, as well as the Portuguese-American Band and the Senhor da Pedra Band, will march in the parade on Tuesday morning.

Officials invite all New Bedford area residents to attend the City’s 2014 Veterans Day Parade on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. The 2014 New Bedford parade is presented by the Greater New Bedford Veterans Council-New Bedford Veterans Advisory Board Veterans Day Parade Committee.

City Veteran’s Agent, Chris Gomes said the organizers are extending an open invitation to all area veterans to march in the New Bedford parade, whether they are a post member or not. “The American Legion Post 1, the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 499 and the Freetown V.F.W. welcome all veterans to march with their organization. We would rather have these veterans join us in the parade than feel as though they must watch from the sidelines,” said Gomes. Several local classic car owners have volunteered to assist those veterans who may otherwise be unable to participate in the parade.

Parade participants will gather at the intersection of Rockdale Avenue and Union Street at approximately 10:30 a.m. and the parade will step off at 11:00 a.m. sharp.

The parade will march East on Union Street to Pleasant Street, then turn left onto Pleasant Street to the reviewing stand located in front of the New Bedford Main Library.

A Veterans Day service will be held at the reviewing stand at the conclusion of the parade and all participants and parade attendees are encouraged to attend the service. Seating will be reserved for elderly and disabled veterans near the reviewing stand.

The keynote speaker will be Ellie Reed, female Veteran who served in the United States Marines Corps.

In addition, parade organizers have announced that Norman Chartier will serve as the Grand Marshall of the 2013 parade. Mr. Chartier is a WWII Veteran who served in the 4th Infantry Division. He is the last surviving members of the Exercise Tiger Association.

On November 4th, residents from all over Massachusetts turned out and voted in many statewide and local races. One especially notable result of this election has made Charlie Baker, a Republican, the new state governor. Baker had surprised many in recent days when polls showed the race between him and Coakley tightening, and even him pulling a bit ahead of his Democratic opponent. As to what is next none can say for sure, although we can surely expect that Baker will attempt to make good on his past promise of making the government more efficient.

Additionally residents voted on four statewide ballot initiatives. The first was the repeal of indexing on the gas tax, which adjusted the tax to inflation perpetually. Of course it passed surprising no one, although what was surprising was how close the race was at about 53 for repeal and 47 opposed. What this result means is that the gas tax no longer increases automatically, and the gas tax remains in effect at its current value. Charlie Baker, our new governor-elect, had previously stood out against indexing on the gas tax so it is possible that future action to raise this tax may be hindered by his administration.

Another of the measures that was voted upon was the expansion of the Bottle Bill, which failed. This initiative sought to expand the 5 cent deposit already paid on most soda bottles and cans to other bottled and canned drinks such as water and Gatorade. Additionally the 5 cent deposit on drinks would be indexed, meaning that it would increase to match changes in the consumer price index. Even with the failure of this expansion though, the current 5 cent deposit on soda bottles and cans remains in effect. If my time with the MassPIRG activists on campus is any inkling however, I don’t expect that supporters will give up anytime soon and are sure to try again.

The third question concerned gambling or rather prohibiting gambling. The actual measure if passed would have kept our state’s gaming commission from issuing licenses to casinos and other gaming establishments. Additionally it would have canceled out any such licenses issued before the law’s passage, however ultimately this measure failed as well. Massachusetts gaming laws are unchanged, which clears the way for the casinos that had sought to be built in our state.

Question 4, the last of the statewide ballot initiatives, sought to give earned sick time to workers. Depending of course on the size of the business, workers earn and can use up to 40 hours of paid or unpaid sick time. Since it has passed, starting July 1st of next year people who are employed will begin earning 1 hour of sick time per 30 hours of work, and yes those hours do carry over from year to year, however they cannot exceed 40 total hours. Again this is notable because Charlie Baker had made it well known over the course of his campaign that he was for earned sick time, but under much stricter conditions. Namely the conditions of the law make it so that only employees working for businesses with ten or fewer employees qualify for unpaid, rather than paid leave. Baker is on record for wanting businesses with up to a maximum of 49 employees to have their workers sick time be unpaid time. So whether or not he can or will use his new powers as governor to change or nullify this legislation is in question.

So now hopefully you have some idea of the effects of these ballot initiatives and what they will or will not do in the near future. As to what effects these decisions will have on statewide issues like the economy, infrastructure, and recycling, well we’ll have to wait and see. Whatever the case though, if your unsatisfied with the results there’s always the next election cycle just around the corner.

Some strange weather ahead. On Friday we will have a disparate variation of twenty degrees. A low of 30 and a high of 53 degrees? Essentially wear thermals in the morning and a t-shirt around noon! Saturday will be “normal” in the sense that we will only have a difference of 8 degrees, but back we go to wacky weather on Sunday with another change of twenty degrees. Besides a passing morning shower on Sunday, there will be no precipitation.

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? Check out our tutorial. For more info, you can click on each title. Know of another event this weekend? Post a reply!

Friday, November 7th

Fine Wine and Craft Beer Grand Tasting (4:00pm-8:00pm)
Fine Wine and Craft Beer Grand Tasting at Country Club of New Bedford by Cardoza Wine and Spirits. 585 Slocum Road. Open to the public.

Painting with a Splash: Snow Cardinal & Starry Night (7:00pm)
Welcome to Painting with a Splash Where you are the artist! Painting with a Splash is the newest addition to Historic Whaling City Downtown New Bedford. Bringing you an experience of art as entertainment. Add a little wine (BYOB) that will surely tap into your creative side. With step by step instruction and a little music, you and your friends will create the evenings featured painting with a splash of your own uniqueness. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Just a desire to have fun.

MAC: “Drinking Habits: A Farce in Two Acts” (Marion) (7:30pm)
Marion Art Center presents “Drinking Habits: A Farce in Two Acts” by Tom Smith. Tickets $12.50 members, $15 non-members. For information call (508) 748-1266 or visit www.marionartcenter.org. 80 Pleasant St.

Whaling City Wrestling Presents The Gold Rush Rumble (7:30pm)
A fan of wrestling? Head over to the VFW in Fairhaven (109 Middle St.) and enjoy some great local entertainment. Tickets are $10, kids age 10 and under are $5. Kitchen is open and non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages served. Full details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1533893543524194/

Saturday, November 8th

Oxford Book Haven & Cafe: Books sale starting at 50 cents (9:00am-1:00pm)
Large selection of used books sold at reasonable prices-most are 50 cents. Computer and Wifi available to the public. Help with our on-going puzzle, or join in a game of Scrabble. Coffee and desserts available. Church of the Good Shepherd 357 Main St. Fairhaven.

Silverbrook ACUSHNET Country Store (9:00am-4:00pm)
SWEET CORN HAS ARRIVED!! The Silverbrook Country Store is the home of The Pereria Bread Co. (a tasty little division of Silverbrook Farm) where they make their Famous Pies and Breads, as well as jams, sauces and other great food products. It is also the home of their Farm Stand that is open to the public every Saturday and Sunday. Silverbrook Country Store also has a wonderful and unique line of crafts including their popular candle/potpourri items and a great selection of handmade Amish items that truly make great gifts for any occasion.

Annual Holiday Bazaar (9:00am-6:00pm)
Annual Holiday Bazaar includes crafts, visits form Santa, raffles, penny sale, straw booth. Chinese auction, and delicious home cooked meals. Saint Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Ave.

Painting with a Splash: Snowman (KIDS!), Sunset Beach & Simple Beautiful Tree (12:30pm, 3:00pm & 7:00pm)
Welcome to Painting with a Splash Where you are the artist! Painting with a Splash is the newest addition to Historic Whaling City Downtown New Bedford. Bringing you an experience of art as entertainment. Add a little wine (BYOB) that will surely tap into your creative side. With step by step instruction and a little music, you and your friends will create the evenings featured painting with a splash of your own uniqueness. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Just a desire to have fun.

First Congregational Church’s Third Annual Harvest Fair (Fall River) (9:00am-3:00pm)
Over 20 different vendors including fine wooden gifts, handmade jewelry, incense and more. Free children’s entertainment, face painting, pictures with Mr. and Mrs. Claus and more. Phone: (508) 672-5862. 282 Rock St.

St. Mary’s Parish Holiday Fair (9:30am-5:30pm)
St. Mary’s Parish Holiday Fair: Full kitchen, crafts, bake table, white elephant, Chinese auction and more. 106 Illinois St.

GoodTyme CountryTyme Dancers (Fall River) (7:00 pm-11:00pm)
Hosting a dance at St. Anne’s Fraternity. Come dance the oldest & newest dances to today’s Country Music with DJ JoAnn Cardoza. Line and couple’s dance lesson will be offered. Admission $10 per person. For more information contact JoAnn at (774) 202-5543 or click on event title. 144 Guild St.

Sunday, November 9th

St. Mary’s Parish Holiday Fair (9:00am-3:00pm)
St. Mary’s Parish Holiday Fair: Full kitchen, crafts, bake table, white elephant, Chinese auction and more. 106 Illinois St.

Silverbrook ACUSHNET Country Store (9:00am-4:00pm)
SWEET CORN HAS ARRIVED!! The Silverbrook Country Store is the home of The Pereria Bread Co. (a tasty little division of Silverbrook Farm) where they make their Famous Pies and Breads, as well as jams, sauces and other great food products. It is also the home of their Farm Stand that is open to the public every Saturday and Sunday.

Silverbrook Country Store also has a wonderful and unique line of crafts including their popular candle/potpourri items and a great selection of handmade Amish items that truly make great gifts for any occasion.

Annual Holiday Bazaar (10:00am-5:00pm)
Annual Holiday Bazaar includes crafts, visits form Santa, raffles, penny sale, straw booth. Chinese auction, and delicious home cooked meals. Saint Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Ave.

Painting with a Splash: Snow Trees (6:00pm)
Welcome to Painting with a Splash Where you are the artist! Painting with a Splash is the newest addition to Historic Whaling City Downtown New Bedford. Bringing you an experience of art as entertainment. Add a little wine (BYOB) that will surely tap into your creative side. With step by step instruction and a little music, you and your friends will create the evenings featured painting with a splash of your own uniqueness. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Just a desire to have fun.

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

This is a photo of our delivery of winter clothing to Mercy Meals and More on Tuesday, November 4th, 2014. We picked up the generously donated items yesterday from the Andrea McCoy Recreation Center. Thanks to all those that volunteered and helped spread the word, but Mercy Meals still need items and volunteers!

With temperatures rapidly dropping Mercy Meals is in need of winter coats/jackets to keep the homeless warm. There are over 330 families and individuals homeless in New Bedford.

We are working with Mercy Meals and More to get coats/jackets and plastic storage containers. No other items needed at this time. Please consider rounding items this week and dropping them off soon. You can drop them off at the Andrea McCoy Recreation Center on 181 Hillman Street on these hours:

Mon – Thu: 1:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Fri: 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Sat: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Volunteers are also needed to help sort the items that come in. If you’d like to volunteer, please call Rev Russ at 508-728-1489.

Sample of what Mercy Meals and More does:

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For a city so full of pride for their culture and heritage, why can’t you see that this city is amazing? (Beth J. Cormier)

by Jordan Anne

Dear New Bedford residents,

I know most of you think New Bedford sucks. Do something to change it by voting today, instead of flooding every news article or post on The Standard Times, The New Bedford Guide, and #peopleofnewbedford with negative comments about how terrible New Bedford is.

I have lived in this city for less than 3 years, and I am often surprised that you can’t find the beauty in this city. Have you seen kids play at Brooklawn Park? Have you been to the zoo, or driven by buttonwood to see people of all walks of life walking their dog, running, biking? Have you been to East Beach? Watched the sunset from Fort Tabor or West Beach? Gone downtown for AHA! Night? The feast? Have you supported any local downtown businesses that are thriving? You complain this town sucks, but you can’t get out one day a year and vote? I understand this city has flaws, as do each and every single one of us. But banded together, the people in this city can truly make a difference.

First, we really need to look around and realize what we have. For a city so full of pride for their culture and heritage, why can’t you see that this city is amazing? If you change your attitude about how this city looks, you’d be surprised at what you see.

Second, if you want things to change, be the change you want to see. Think people are rude? Be nice. It’s contagious. Think that it’s dirty? Clean it. We each can’t change it all, but if everyone did one thing, you’d see a difference. Put money into this city. Buy dinner downtown once a month, try a new restaurant. Yeah, it may be pricier than the mall, but if everyone shopped downtown they wouldn’t have to charge so much.

Finally, I want to say that I love this city, and although I am very disheartened that so few people voting, I am very proud to live and work in this city. I will continue to support some of my favorite local businesses and I will continue looking for new places to love. Because even though I’m only one person, I’m one person doing what I can to make a difference.

When it comes to voting, I’ve found over the course of my life so far, that people tend to have a special relationship with voting. They think it’s important enough to encourage people to do it and yet when it comes to voting themselves most people don’t want to be bothered with it. One UMass Dartmouth student and business major Harrison DoAmaral best summed this feeling up when he said, “I don’t care about voting because the decisions are going to be made by other people regardless of what I do.”

Now I’ll freely admit that Harrison has every right to feel disenfranchised, with national elections the electorate is much bigger and therefore individuals are more likely to feel their views are unimportant compared to the masses. This is especially true if you’re a Republican or share conservative views and you live in a state like Massachusetts, which is a staunchly Democrat state. Though when it comes to midterms and local elections, it’s puzzling to me why people seem less likely to participate.

In a statewide or local election, the electorate is smaller and so the individual should have more of a say or at least they should think that they do. You don’t have to be a political scientist to come to that sort of conclusion anyway, but the logic of it is just one part of a bigger whole.

“I’m going to do it because I feel it’s my civic duty,” another UMass Dartmouth student, Kevin Palmer said upon being asked why he plans to vote in the upcoming election. And indeed the more people I asked this week about voting, the more I found who after saying that they’d vote claimed it was due to a civil duty.

When I voted for the first time I also did so both because I felt that it was my civic obligation to do so, but also because I was curious about the process itself. As I entered my elementary school’s cafeteria/auditorium I felt very nervous, a sense of anxiousness that continued as I filled out the slip. Everything had to be perfect, or so I felt. And afterwards when I handed the sheet into the people responsible for collection, I felt so exhilarated. I don’t know if it was because my anxiety over the ballot being filled out perfectly had disappeared, or whether it was the sense of accomplishment that comes with any “first”, but I had truly enjoyed voting.

Another reason that people don’t vote, which I hadn’t really considered involves knowledge. UMass Dartmouth student Andrew McCarthy pointed out in a brief interview that, “I don’t know anything about the people who are running or the issues….I just don’t have time to look into it either.”

I have to admit that’s a good reason not to vote. If you aren’t well informed and don’t have the opportunity to learn about the issues, it’s somewhat admirable that someone like Andrew would rather not vote than make a misinformed vote. Although, I would still recommend people do whatever they can to inform themselves about the issues and candidates so that they can vote “correctly.”

One thing that uninformed voters should consider is voting by party. Candidates of the same party typically hold similar stances on political issues, so looking at the stances that the various political parties have on the issues is potentially a better and quicker way of helping to decide who to vote for. You simply pick the party that aligns closest to your views and select all members of that party on the ballot. Information on the Massachusetts Democratic Party can be found here and information on the state Republican Party can be found here.

And the reasons to vote in this election cycle are many. Firstly there are various local races, and a gubernatorial election that in recent weeks has become much more competitive with Republican candidate Charlie Baker edging out a small lead in the polls. Then there are the various ballot initiatives, one of which would repeal automatic indexing on the gas tax and another that would expand the Bottle Bill. Whether or not you vote in this election, we will all have to live with its effects for the foreseeable future, and for me at least having some say in that is enough reason to go to the polls on November 4th.

Get a load of this: Sunday “rain and snow possible”! Let’s just pretend that not a single weatherperson reported that. I am 100% convinced if we continue to wear our shorts, the collective and combined power will trick Mother Nature into thinking it’s Spring or Summer. It will otherwise be a mild, but cool weekend in terms of temperature. Overnight/morning lows will deep close to or even past freezing, so be sure to bundle cleverly – as the day warms, you will want to strip some layers. Regardless, nothing stops greater New Bedford from heading out and enjoying our weekend!

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? Check out our tutorial. For more info, you can click on each title. Know of another event this weekend? Post a reply!

Friday, October 31st

Not-So-Spooky Family Halloween Party – Andrea McCoy Rec Center (6-9pm)
The Not-So-Spooky Family Halloween Party at the Andrea McCoy Recreation Center is Friday, October 31st from 6-9pm. It’s a FREE family event and no registration is required. Games, treats, movies, costume contest, haunted house and more!

The Phantom of the Opera – Silent Movie at the “Z” (7:00pm)
Get ready for some serious chills and thrills when we screen the 1925 silent movie classic, accompanied by the breathtaking, seat-shaking sound of the mighty Zeiterion Theatre Wurlitzer Organ!

Starring Lon Chaney in the title role, Phantom of the Opera remains one of the scariest movies ever made, and organist Bernie Anderson will bring it vividly to life for an evening of Halloween fun. Come in costume!

Rocky Horror Picture Show at the “Z” (9:30pm)
Halloween night at The Z! The Z’s bringing back to the screen, The Rocky Horror Picture Show along with The RKO Army live cast. If you’re a Rocky Horror fan, then you know what to do! If you’re new to Rocky, you’re in for a sensation as audience participation is a must! Please leave all Rocky Virgins under 18 at home – this is a delightfully R-Rated performance! *Please click on thread title to visit the Z’s website for a list of approved and forbidden props*

Saturday, November 1st

Silverbrook ACUSHNET Country Store (9:00am-4:00pm)
SWEET CORN HAS ARRIVED!! The Silverbrook Country Store is the home of The Pereria Bread Co. (a tasty little division of Silverbrook Farm) where they make their Famous Pies and Breads, as well as jams, sauces and other great food products. It is also the home of their Farm Stand that is open to the public every Saturday and Sunday. Silverbrook Country Store also has a wonderful and unique line of crafts including their popular candle/potpourri items and a great selection of handmade Amish items that truly make great gifts for any occasion.

One Day Christmas Bazaar (East Freetown) (9:00am-4:00pm)
St. John Neumann Womens Guild invites all to their annual Christmas Bazaar, held in their parish hall. Our ONE DAY bazaar will feature a wide variety of booths, sure to interest all your tastes! Some of what we have to offer are assorted gift basket raffles, money raffles, an assortment of home baked goods, baked beans, Chinese Auction, Lottery Ticket raffles, Antiques and Collectibles and Guest Vendors. We are also offering a HEARTY home made lunch. Wheelchair accessible. FREE ADMISSION! Phone: 5087632569. Email: contact@sjnfreetown.org. Saturday, November 1, 2014, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. St. John Neumann Parish Hall, 257 Middleboro Road, East Freetown.

UMass Observatory Open House (5:00pm-6:00pm)
We are a group of amateur astronomers from in and around the south coastal Massachusetts/ Rhode Island area. Our membership represents a wide range of astronomical interests. We have people dedicated to visual observing, and people engaged in advanced astrophotography.

We have people passionate about comet hunting, and people who love to practice binocular astronomy. We have people tracking asteroids, and people who enjoy examining the moon. We’ve got planet lovers and sun enthusiasts, telescope builders and observatory owners. Above all, we have one thing in common; a passion for amateur astronomy. To find out what we’re all about, just come to a meeting. You don’t have to be a dues-paying member to attend our meetings, so come on down, introduce yourself, and see what we’ve got to offer. The door’s open! At the Carpenter Museum.

The Barn Burners String Band with Garcia (7:00pm-8:00pm)
Wamsutta Club Salon Series. Tickets $18 at the door, $12 for over 65 and under 12; advance tickets $14/10. For information visit www.wepecket.com/tickets.htm. 427 County St.

Holistic Wellness Fair (Westport) (12:00 pm-5:00pm)
Please join us for our one year anniversary at the State Road Westport location. Stop by to meet the practitioners, have some light refreshments and take a look around. Services Available at the Fair: Reiki, Crystal Reiki, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Multidimensional Crystal Healing, Psychic Readings, Tarot Card Readings. Available in our boutique: Aromatherapy Blends, Lotions, Sprays, Scrubs, Soaps, Crystals, Jewelry, Candles, Sage, Incense, Pendulums, Angel Cards, Natural Dog Treats, Gift Cards and more. Soothing Sensations Wellness Center 1180 State Rd Westport, Mass. Phone: 774 201 0012. Email: soothingensationsreiki@yahoo.com.

Painting with a Splash: Lion (KIDS!), Crazy Tree (15+) & Moon Rise (12:30pm, 3:00pm & 7:00pm)
Welcome to Painting with a Splash Where you are the artist! Painting with a Splash is the newest addition to Historic Whaling City Downtown New Bedford. Bringing you an experience of art as entertainment. Add a little wine (BYOB) that will surely tap into your creative side. With step by step instruction and a little music, you and your friends will create the evenings featured painting with a splash of your own uniqueness. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Just a desire to have fun.

Rocky Horror Picture Show at UMass Dartmouth (8:00pm)
20 Cent Fiction, a student-run theater company at UMass Dartmouth, will be performing its 21st annual shadow-cast production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The production will be running from Thursday, October 30 through Sunday, November 2. Doors open at 7:30PM for an 8PM curtain Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Friday, doors will open at 11:30 for a midnight curtain. Admission is $5 for UMD Students, $7 for Faculty, Staff, and Alumni, and $10 for General Admission. Props, costumes, and callbacks are encouraged, but we ask that no food props be used. (No rice and toast please!) Come join in on a South Coast tradition!

Full details: http://www.newbedfordguide.com/20-cent-fiction-rocky-horror/2014/10/22

Sunday, November 2nd

Silverbrook ACUSHNET Country Store (9:00am-4:00pm)
SWEET CORN HAS ARRIVED!! The Silverbrook Country Store is the home of The Pereria Bread Co. (a tasty little division of Silverbrook Farm) where they make their Famous Pies and Breads, as well as jams, sauces and other great food products. It is also the home of their Farm Stand that is open to the public every Saturday and Sunday.

Silverbrook Country Store also has a wonderful and unique line of crafts including their popular candle/potpourri items and a great selection of handmade Amish items that truly make great gifts for any occasion.

Providence College’s “The Imaginary Invalid” (2:00pm)
Providence College’s Department of Theatre, dance and film: Presents “The Imaginary Invalid.” Tickets $13, $9 seniors, $5 students. For tickets visit www.providence.edu/theatre or call (401) 865-2218. Smith Center for the Arts, 1 Cunningham Square.

Fort Taber Dance Series: Nu Sounds (1:00-4:00pm)
Sponsored by the City of New Bedford. NuSounds. Snack bar with refreshments available. Free. Fort Taber Community Center, 1000C S Rodney French Blvd.

Special Olympics Program (4:00-5:00pm)
Taking place at Old Colony YMCA, Sundays 4-5 p.m. Sept. 28-Nov. 16. For ages 2-7. Middle school and high school students needed for buddy capacity. Contact Melissa Oddi-Morrison (508) 574-4898 or email moddi@verizon.net.

Rocky Horror Picture Show at UMass Dartmouth (8:00pm)
20 Cent Fiction, a student-run theater company at UMass Dartmouth, will be performing its 21st annual shadow-cast production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The production will be running from Thursday, October 30 through Sunday, November 2. Doors open at 7:30PM for an 8PM curtain Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Friday, doors will open at 11:30 for a midnight curtain. Admission is $5 for UMD Students, $7 for Faculty, Staff, and Alumni, and $10 for General Admission. Props, costumes, and callbacks are encouraged, but we ask that no food props be used. (No rice and toast please!) Come join in on a South Coast tradition!

Full details: http://www.newbedfordguide.com/20-cent-fiction-rocky-horror/2014/10/22

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

October flew by, November is coming up quickly, and this year Halloween is on a Friday, thankfully! What other way to end a long week, and kick off a weekend than to celebrate this thrilling day! For some of us we will finally be able to go all out for Halloween without worrying about school or work the following morning. If you have the chance to celebrate this year, whether you have kids, or no kids, here is a guide for a successful night in the city of New Bedford!

1. Go get your costume/Add final touches
If you haven’t picked out your costume already, hurry up! Time is running out, Halloween is creeping up on us. If you haven’t picked out a costume head on over to Halloween Connection on 966 Kings Highway. They have almost every costume you can think of! Even some sweet last minute deals. If you are looking for a cheaper route, Savers has plenty of great cheap costumes! I personally enjoy making my costumes from scratch, so if you are like me Savers in New Bedford is the way to go! If you see an Edward Scissorhands costume made out of 50 belts, and plastic knives for hands strolling the streets of New Bedford, it could possibly be me!

2. Whales, Tales and Sails-10am
Toddlers love to celebrate Halloween too! New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is offering a free engaging activity this Halloween! This event will consist of story telling by Jackson Gillman which also includes songs, finger play, music, and crafts at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park’s Corson Maritime Learning Center. If you have kids, take them here before trick or treating.

3. Trick or Treating-6pm
Next, If you have kids, or happen to be around kids, take them trick or treating! The best thing about this is you can steal some candy from them, or maybe the owners of the houses you knock on will happily spare a couple pieces for you to enjoy!

4. The Phantom of the Opera-Silent Movie-7pm @ The Zeiterion
This silent movie is definitely a classic! So after trick or treating, if you are looking for some serious chills and spooks this Halloween head down to the Zeiterion Theatre to watch a showing of one of the scariest movies! Viewers get the luxury of organist Bernie Anderson! He will be playing organs during the movie to bring it to life for more thrilling fun! Go in costume to make this night even more exciting!

5. The Rocky Horror Picture Show 2014-9:30 @ The Zeiterion
After Phantom of the Opera stay a while! The Z is bringing the iconic Rocky Horror Picture show back to the screen along with the RKO Army live cast! Whether you are fan or a Rocky Virgin, audience participation is still a must, so prepare for an active, involved night!

Both can be found here.

6. College Halloween Party 9:30pm-2:00am
Finally, If you are a college student looking for an off campus alternative to celebrating Halloween, Bar 908 is the place to go! Every single Thursday this bar provides a shuttle bus that picks students up from Ring Rd at UMass Dartmouth, and brings them to the bar, and brings them back to campus when the bar closes! This Thursday it is no different from the previous weeks. Students can expect to catch a bus to the craziest Halloween Party in the city at 10:15, or 11pm for only $5. If you’re a student, or even someone just looking for fun, go to 908! There will also be a $5 cover to support the UMass Dartmouth’s Class of 2015! Come in the best costume and you can win $250!

7. OR 107’s Monster Mash-9pm
If you are uninterested in partying with a bunch of college students, or hosting your own Halloween party, Fun107 is hosting a Monster Mash at White’s of Westport Restaurant in Westport, MA! If you don’t mind driving a couple minutes out of New Bedford head on over to this event. Make new friends or meet up with old friends as you guys party and dance all night long! They will have plenty of entertainment and a lot of people dressed in costume! If you can’t make it on Halloween, don’t worry they are hosting another party the following day! Make sure to buy your tickets in advanced.

8. Stay safe and have fun!!