By Jenny Lee Paiva

I’m willing to bet that more than half of our readers felt the peril of the Market Basket saga. You may have had to drive out of the way and pay a heck of a lot more at big chain stores rather than getting “more for your dollar,” as the family -owned supermarket boasts. We’ve certainly seen the consequences as consumers, with bare shelves and a legal battle lasting more than a month.

So what does this possibly have to do with Carters Clothing & Footwear vs Nike?

Well, it’s about small business and big corporate bullies. It’s about families and communities. Whether a consumer or a producer, it’s about appreciating those who have invested time and money into your product or cause. It’s about a sense of localism; communities coming together in support of small business. Most importantly, it’s about honoring the loyalty of those who have helped build a brand from the start.

By now, you may have heard that Carter’s Clothing & Footwear, a longtime staple of South Coast economy, lost their account with the billion-dollar bully, Nike.

In March of 2013, Nike sent a letter stating they would no longer distribute their product to Carters as of June 30th, 2013, giving the Carter family just three months’ notice. Nike demanded that Carters pay the full balance in advance, a stark contrast to a line of credit that the Carters were accustomed to and had always paid on time.

The Carters contacted Nike immediately requesting a balance due but Nike would not respond or confirm a balance for future orders, and within a couple of weeks, Nike locked the Carters out of their online account. Heeding Nike’s warning, the Carters took the initiative of printing up and sifting through all Nike invoices, and in just ten days had the burden of advancing $160,000 to Nike to ensure all orders were paid in full through September 30th.

Nike’s actions were painfully shocking since the mom-and-pop clothing and footwear store maintained a good standing business account for over 30 years with Nike. Nike merchandise accounted for a sizable amount of Carters Clothing & Footwear business revenue.

Carters has been serving the urban communities of Fall River and New Bedford, MA since 1947, with three generations of family owners. Loyal customers appreciate shopping one of the largest sneaker selections in the area and praise Carter’s staff for friendly customer service. Nike’s drastic policy change has put this family-owned company in a financially tenuous spot, and thus, with respect to their reputation and promise to their customers, the Carter family demands answers.

I had the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with Kevin Carter, third generation store owner and manager, who shared with me details and family thoughts on their current legal battle with Nike. “We want answers, and our day in court,” he said.

The Carter family wants to know Nike’s motive behind terminating their account with no warning, after 30 loyal years. “At first, we thought it was a mistake. We immediately sent over emails and made phone calls, but no response.” Kevin explained that Carters Clothing has evolved right along with Nike, before the big brand lost their loyalty to the small businesses roots that built its brand from the start.

Interestingly enough, Carters Clothing was not the only mom and pops shop that received a termination letter from Nike.

According to Carter’s attorney, Adrienne Catherine Beauregard-Rheaume, news reports out of New Jersey and Philadelphia have revealed that Nike sent several identical letters to numerous small businesses across the eastern seaboard of the United States. Reportedly, several mom and pop stores were facing closure due to their dropped Nike accounts.

“Though we haven’t heard of any stores in the Midwest or West Coast having been effected, according to news reports overseas, Nike is now refusing to sell to small sports shops in the United Kingdom, limiting its distribution to the chain stores,” said Beauregard.

Nike is arguing that these stores have to bring their fight to Oregon if they want to challenge Nike’s actions and it is certainly concerning that Nike seems to have only focused their efforts thus far on retailers on the opposite side of the country and overseas.

But Nike claims it’s all under contract, stating in their March 15th, 2013 termination letter, “By this letter, NIKE provides you with formal notice, effective June 30th, 2013 (the “Termination Date”) that it is exercising the right to terminate your account(s).”

Since many mom and pop stores also built their business around the Nike brand, naturally, the insufficient amount of warning time Nike gave to find another product to replace their merchandise was baffling.

CBS Eyewitness News conducted a closer investigation of Nike’s actions, reporting the same unexpected termination letter was sent to small business owner Keith Sherman, manager of Real McCoy Sports in Olney Philadelphia. Sherman argues that Nike has forgotten its roots; “I mean, us, the hood…We built that, we built Nike. We helped that brand get up there and this is what we get in return?”

Is Nike targeting small businesses? On what legal terms?

“We weren’t the only small business being targeted. There are so many other businesses that we found out about right away,” said Kevin Carter.

The Carter family’s legal quest revealed at least ten more small businesses with dropped Nike accounts, including 23- year- old Shoe Plus Athletic Footwear of Princeton, Philadelphia, 44- year- old Index #1 of Queens, New York, and 50- year -old Alpha & Omega Shoe of Roxbury, MA.

As a result of this move by Nike, many long standing community stores were closed down for good. Family owners were forced to forfeit their hard earned businesses after years of loyalty to the Nike brand. In the event that Nike is targeting small businesses in favor of big retailers like Footlocker, the question remains whether they can legally discontinue Carters account without proper warning.

“The legal fight is about whether Nike can pull the rug out from under the Carters after a 30 year relationship that gave rise to a contract through their course of dealing, among others,” said Beauregard.

Still in search of answers, and now under the legal guidance of attorney Philip N. Beauregard and Adrienne Beauregard, of the law firm Beauregard, Burke & Franco, the Carters filed a lawsuit against Nike on June 7th, just three months after receiving the original termination letter.

The lawsuit accused Nike of a breach in contract and unfair and deceptive trade practices, and asked that the Carter account be reinstated so that they can continue selling Nike products to their customers.

“The Carters have a very strong, local customer base that didn’t make that trek out to the big box stores on Route 6 for their sneakers, they came to downtown New Bedford and gave their business to this small family business that has been operating here for more than a half century,” said Beauregard.

When I asked Beauregard what she thought Nike’s motive was, she said her firm’s attempts to get a court to force Nike to reveal their motive have been stymied by a so called “contract clause” printed in 8 point font on the back of a merchandise purchase invoice.

Since Nike was such a big part of the Carters’ business and they built their stores around the product, the question of Nike’s motive to terminate their account still remains a perplexing mystery. “There is no way to know at this point what Nike’s motive was, because it refuses to answer that question,” she said.

Nike immediately responded to Carters lawsuit filing a motion to dismiss, claiming that according to this “implied contract clause,” the case can only be heard in Oregon, where Nike’s headquarters are located.

“It seems Nike is writing their own rules,” said owner Kevin Carter. “We want to see the proof. Where’s the agreement they claim that we signed and agreed to?”

Given the amount of small businesses terminated, along with alleged statements Nike made to stores in the United Kingdom, there’s reason to believe that perhaps Nike has decided to only sell to big box stores.

“That kind of discrimination is not right, and it’s not legal,” said Beauregard.

News of the Carter vs Nike lawsuit made local headlines suggesting the Carter’s legal battle with a major corporate brand like Nike was another case of David & Goliath, causing many loyal customer concerns.

For example, a Sport-Law online article written by Benjamin Haynes, proposed, “It’s hard to imagine this small family operated store surviving without such a brand. It’s safe to assume that Carters main reason for wanting to exercise its notice right is to allow the small business adequate time to pursue another contract.”

However, Nike merchandise only accounts for a portion of sales—not nearly enough for the hard working family to close up shop. Although many fellow small business owners seemed hopeless in pursuing a legal battle with the heavy weight Nike brand, the Carter family is fighting for fair business practices, demanding answers on behalf of all mom and pop stores.

Small businesses are the heart of their communities.

Carters Clothing & Footwear is a very well-known and respected store, contributing to the economic development of the Fall River and New Bedford communities, employing roughly 20 workers, from part time college students to long term friendly faces. Loyal customers appreciate the welcoming feeling of the mom-and-pop shop. Carter’s sells award winning Townwear apparel, donating a portion of all sales to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater New Bedford, aimed at helping keep kids off the streets and in healthy peer groups.

In a 2014 letter from the US Small Business Administration, Seth A Goddall, New England Regional Administrator wrote; “Small businesses are the backbone of the Massachusetts economy. The Commonwealth’s 607,000 small businesses employ more than 1.4 million workers and are the pulse of the state’s downtowns and communities. Many of these businesses are owned and operated by your neighbors, friends, and families.”

Nike’s motive to terminate their long term, good standing account is still unknown. According to attorney Beauregard, if Nike can get away with cutting out the mom and pops shops, it won’t just be the Carters that are affected, but consumers and all small business owners will suffer as well.

“All small businesses will become vulnerable to the distributors who decide it’s better for their bottom line to only sell to big retailers. The landscape of business in America could, in our lifetime, be limited to the Wal-Marts and Targets of the world. I’m concerned for the consumer, and I’m concerned for the small business owners who will be totally shut out of competition,” she said.

Despite the legal fees and unanswered questions, the Carter family remains optimistic.

“For now, it’s just a waiting game,” Carter said.

It’s no wonder the Carter family wants their voice to be heard. They deserve their day in court to defend the rights of fair business practices in the name of all mom-and-pop businesses who were bullied by Nike.

“Nike’s insistence that the Carters bring suit in Oregon – while Nike itself has no problem using the courts of Massachusetts to sue retailers here when it feels it has been legally wronged – may very well rob the Carters of their day in court. Nike should have to answer for this behavior,” said Beauregard.

Nike is a corporate giant, silently severing ties with the little guys who helped build their brand from the start. These are billion dollar businesses- bullies forcing families to forfeit their companies- crushing their family legacy.

What can be done to put an end to similar Carters Clothing and Market Basket cases?
Let’s take a look at the positive side of the Market Basket mayhem; employees and customers protested and refused to work, despite taking a chance on losing their primary income. They were holding onto hope for fair and just business practices. The demonstration proved one thing; we are better in numbers.

While there’s a current trend of Cash Mobs, small business activists organizing community protests and boycotting big brands, there’s something a little less drastic that you can do to help.

Keep on supporting your local businesses who support your community.

Shop local and get to know your neighbors and their families who live to provide goods and services that help stimulate the local economy.

Know that Carters Clothing won’t be closing their doors. In fact, they’ve already refreshed current brands like Reebok, Fila, Champion, Timberland, Supra, New Balance and many more quality clothing and footwear merchandise. Both Fall River and New Bedford locations will continue to stay stocked with Carter’s promise, “Clothes that fit your lifestyle.”

“We are going to keep doing what we’ve done since 1947, focusing on customer service,” said Carter.

In the meantime, Beauregard says her firm has been contacted directly by attorneys for four other retailers and lawmakers in Oregon have also reached out, concerned about what Nike is doing in their own back yard.

“I do hope that the other retailers who have been wronged here have the strength and resilience that the Carters have to fight to stay in business,” she said.

There is no set court date for the appeal yet; briefs are due this fall and a hearing will be scheduled after the briefs are filed.

Carter’s Clothing & Footwear

55 William Street New Bedford, MA 02740
288 Plymouth Avenue Fall River, MA 02721
Call For In-Store Pick Up:
New Bedford: 508-993-8221
Fall River: 508-678-5333
Facebook: facebook.com/CartersMA
Twitter: twitter.com/CartersClothing
Website: cartersma.com/

A Live Auction moderated by auctioneer, Dennis Broadbent and featuring art from some of the area’s most celebrated names will be the primary attraction at the Spinner Celebrates! 33rd Anniversary Fundraising Gala. Also included in the auction are pottery by Peruvian artisans from Colo Colo Gallery. The event is to be held at Fort Taber Community Center located at Fort Taber Park in New Bedford on Saturday evening, October 18, 2014 from 6pm to 10pm.

Headlining the Live Auction are works from these well-known artists:

• Arthur Moniz
• Milton Brightman
• Peter Michael Martin
• Chuck Hauck
• Allison Wells
• Dr. Joseph “Zack” Souza
• John Gamache
• Jim Sears
• Gay Gilles

Additionally, a silent auction will feature antique objects—such as Pairpoint glass—rare books, signed prints, and gift items from merchants, restaurants, artisans and museums throughout the area.

The public can preview most auction items at Spinner Publications’ office at 164 William Street in downtown New Bedford. Previewing date is on AHA! Night, Thursday, October 9, 5 – 7pm.

Images of the artwork can also be viewed at www.spinnerpub.com.

The October 18 event will be catered and feature an open-bar with beer, wine and a signature cocktail. Live Big Band music will be provided by The Meadowlarks.

Tickets are $75 each and can be purchased at www.spinnerpub.com or at these local outlets: Bourassa Hardware, Arthur Moniz Gallery and Subtext Bookshop. Tickets can also be ordered by calling (508) 994-4564. Seating is limited; early reservations are recommended. Proceeds will support the Spinner Publications’ educational projects and new books, including A Picture History of New Bedford ~ Volume 2, 1925-2014 due for publication in 2015.

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At 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 the Friends of Buttonwood Park, Mayor Jon Mitchell, members of the New Bedford High School Whalers Basketball team and the public will gather in Buttonwood Park to celebrate the complete renovation of Buttonwood Park’s basketball courts. It has been nearly 30 years since the courts were last updated.

The need to rebuild the Park’s three basketball courts was identified by the Friends of Buttonwood Park as a top priority project of its “Buttonwood on the Move” campaign, designed to improve recreational facilities and encourage exercise in the park. The Friends of Buttonwood Park is an all volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Buttonwood Park—a 97-acre public park designed by Frederick Law Olmstead.

by Max Cohen

The following is an objective analysis of the candidates running to become Massachusetts’ next governor this November. Using the information from the candidates’ sites and other sources on the web I will explain Martha Coakley’s views on several important issues, and where possible will compare her to the Republican candidate Charlie Baker and vice-versa. I feel though that before I can begin I must advocate that anyone reading this should do more research in addition to reading this article, especially before casting a vote.

Charlie Baker is a former CEO, and Secretary of Administration and Finance under former Governors Weld and Cellucci. Meanwhile, Martha Coakley is the Attorney General for the state of Massachusetts following a successful career as both a prosecutor and District Attorney. With a little of our candidates qualifications in mind let’s review a few of the issues in question.

The Economy and Jobs

There are few if any issues more important than this, in fact according to Gallup.com it’s the most important issue to Americans followed by general dissatisfaction with the government at a close second. These days, people feel that the federal government is just not doing enough for them to improve their lives, and this creates an opportunity for state governments to come in and take the lead by example.

Martha Coakley aims to use transportation revenues and reinvest them in local projects focusing on repairing an “out-of-date” public infrastructure. Additionally she hopes that in part by advancing clean energy efforts and incentivizing certain company policies she can attract more companies to Massachusetts and grow those already here. Another important part of her economic policy involves expanding rights for workers, such as by closing the gender pay gap and affirming the right of workers to unionize freely, and by assuring that earned sick time is guaranteed for all workers.

Charlie Baker supports tax credits to offset the costs of implementing minimum wage increases, as well as changing or getting rid of some current tax laws including the corporate interest tax, which under his administration would allow any business earning a net income of $500,000 or less to be exempt from the tax. Additionally he believes that phasing out the state inventory tax as well as repealing the automatic gas tax increases will attract more business to the state and ultimately help owners of small and big businesses. Like Coakley, Baker intends to increase funding for local infrastructure projects and he also wants to create “Opportunity Zones” and “tax-free zones” in Gateway Cities to spur economic investment in these areas.

What these candidates say on their sites says a lot about them and their thoughts on policy; however what’s even more telling is what has been left out. For example, in the section dedicated to her economic policy Coakley doesn’t mention phasing out the state inventory tax, so can it be assumed that she would be against such a thing? Furthermore, Baker doesn’t mention closing the gender pay gap, which means we can only assume that, at the least, he may not have thought it an important part of the economic plan he’s running on. Again though, the information I’m basing this on comes from their campaign websites and so my understanding may be incomplete, but still that doesn’t change the fact that in his economic plan Charlie Baker saw fit to mention the dismissal of several corporate tax laws and that Martha Coakley saw fit to mention the gender pay gap. What these candidates mentioned and what they didn’t in a paper meant for public consumption says a lot about them and their campaigns.

Of course a big part of these candidates economic plans are their ideas about education, and as expected they both wasn’t to continue improving access to education and the quality of education being given. One interesting difference is that Mr. Baker’s plan focuses more on connecting colleges, vocational schools, and high schools with potential future employers who can help provide needed experience, while a major part of Martha Coakley’s plan focuses on increasing access to Pre-K early education as well as an expanded school day and special counselors in schools whose purpose would be identifying children in need and helping them to acquire any assistance they might need.

Another extremely important issue is healthcare, and judging by their campaign websites the two candidates have entirely different concerns facing the issue. Charlie Baker for example, wishes to procure a waiver from the Affordable Care Act and also wishes to get a waiver from Medicare in order to raise rates paid to primary care physicians. In theory, his administration expects this strategy to result in a boom of the number of primary care physicians causing them to be able to improve their care teams and thereby making healthcare more efficient and affordable.

Meanwhile, Martha Coakley’s policies are focused more on improving the availability and quality of behavioral health care. One of the suggestions she proposes is to integrate behavioral health care with primary care and other services, possibly alongside exchanging the current fee-for-services model with payment methods that would incentivize this integration. Another of her proposals is the establishment of peer support programs and to increase awareness and understanding of these diseases by furthering behavioral health education. In theory, her administration expects these strategies to help reduce some of the crime and homelessness in our state as well as the prevention of needless suicides.

In the end there is a limit to how much of these candidates and their policies I can capture in an article. So once again, I highly recommend any readers to do additional research, because regardless of what we may have come to believe it does matter. Our vote matters. The purpose of this article has not been to endorse either candidate, but to inform and hopefully inspire perspective readers to continue looking into the matter.

Are you a witch? There are still laws on the books that will get you banned! (Joseph E. Baker, 1892)

Blue Laws have reached an almost urban legend level status – sometimes making it difficult to separate fact from fiction. It’s not uncommon to hear a few mentioned during a social. In fact, they make great ice breakers and spur on conversation. Those laws that the early settlers passed will cause our friends and family chuckle, but there was a time when they were no laughing matter. The vast majority of these laws were created by puritans who wanted to enforce a religious standard – an enforced morality if you will.

Many, if not most, revolved around Sunday – the Sabbath day. As most Americans know, theist or otherwise, Sunday is the day of rest. No activities were to be undertaken on Sunday. The early Europeans settlers took this day quite seriously, and it wasn’t uncommon for a nosy neighbor to report another neighbor for pulling a mule out of the mud. A penalty would follow, often as minor as a fine, but perhaps as severe as a flogging or some pillory time.

Not very neighborly.

Generally, most were more “legitimate” violations such as not showing up for church, gambling, or swearing. Public drunkenness was severely frowned upon. Filling up on some grog and passing out under a tree’s shade could easily lead to missing Sunday service. It could of course, also lead to a row or two. Since being drunk would have a marked effect on attendance, one of the first Blue Laws to be enacted was the prohibition of alcohol sales on Sunday period.

As some of you may recall, this archaic law persisted until 2004 – one could not purchase alcohol off-premises. You could go to a bar, but you weren’t grabbing a six-pack and burgers to watch the game. To this day you cannot purchase alcohol on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and Memorial Day. A leftover of the puritanical legislation.

So why do we still have these laws? Why haven’t they been struck from the “books”? If it is technically breaking the law to violate one of these, will a “bad” cop actually cite or arrest me? Where did the term come from?

The term Blue Law was first mentioned in 1781, some decades after they existed. Reverend Samuel Peters’ used the term in his book “General History of Connecticut,” but we don’t actually know if he coined the term or used an existent one. In this book he describes these as “Blue Laws; i.e. bloody Laws; for they were all sanctified with whipping, cutting off the ears, burning the tongue, and death.” Serious stuff, indeed.

The urban legend, an incorrect one, is that these laws were published on blue paper, hence the moniker. There is no evidence or historical mention of this anywhere. It’s simply untrue. No one actually knows with certainty, but what we do know is that “Blue” is a term used to often to symbolize something lofty, aristocratic, or puritanical. So “blue” in this sense, would refer to the “high” morality of the laws.

For example, Merriam-Webster defines a “bluenose” as “a person who advocates a rigorous moral code.” Google defines it as “a priggish or puritanical person.” Of course, we are all familiar with the term “blueblood” and its reference to nobility. The word abluent means “Washing away; carrying off impurities” according to thefreedictionary.com and “true blue” means “extremely loyal or orthodox.”

I think you get the point. Dull etymology lesson over.

Now, that we’ve cleared the dull, let’s have some fun discussing some of these laws.

Does your husband snore? If he does it with the windows open, he’s busted. Pillory for him. Have a friend in the hospital that you were going to bring a nip to? According to Chapter 270: Section 5. that will get you “…a fine of not more than fifty dollars or by imprisonment for not more than two months.” He/she is going to have to tough it out and hope the $40 per Ibuprofen does the job.

Thinking of adding some Gran Marnier to some chocolate for a dinner party? You’re going to do some time, you crook. Massachusetts forbids chocolate to contain any more than 1% alcohol. Wasn’t it Patrick Henry that said “Give me spiked chocolate or give me death!”?

Remember that whole Salem Witch Trial blight on Massachusett’s history? We learned our lesson after twenty people, most “witches” were murdered, right? Nope. If you are a “witch” or even a Quaker for that matter, you will be promptly banned. I guess, that’s a heck of a lot better than being burned at the stake, crushed with stones, or drowned. What a moral way to punish someone for their immorality!

There are some interesting laws about kids. Did you know that kids get some special privileges under Blue Law legislation? If you are at a baseball or football game and an official or player really gets your goat, you will be cited or flogged for swearing at him. No, seriously. Just tell your son or daughter (must be under the age of 16) the swears and have them yell it. It’s totally legal. Also, a child can walk up to a police officer puffing a cigarette and there’s not a darn thing he can do about it. However, when the kid runs out of cigarettes, the cop can bust him buying a new pack. The kid can smoke, just can’t buy. Go figure.

These days it’s pretty common to have a goatee, especially if you shave your head. I see a lot of goatees and I’m pretty sure none of the …er…goatee-ees, have the special license fee that is mandatory. Imagine getting pulled over – “Driver’s License, registration, proof of insurance….and special license for that goatee, please.”

Are you a church-goer? If you don’t carry your rifle to church, you’re in it deep, pal. But, if you leave church and use that rifle to go hunting, you’re in it even deeper. We’re talking stockades for you, because hunting is illegal on Sundays in Massachusetts. When I hit the road on Sundays this hunting season, I plan on making a lot of citizen’s arrests to help generate some revenue for the Commonwealth. We need some extra funding to fix these potholes.

Let’s discuss some of the more risque prohibitions. Early Puritans were quite concerned about what other people did in the privacy of their bedrooms. Are you a woman who prefers to be on top? A day in the county jail should straighten you out, you vixen. If you cheat on your spouse, you get “…state prison for not more than three years or in jail for not more than two years or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars.” Of course, no one commits adultery in the entire state of Massachusetts since their is no record of a single adulterer in our prison system.

Divorced, yet still living in the same house for the sake of the kids perhaps? If you slip up and have any extra-curricular activity it’s considered adultery by the state. Off to the state prison for you two. Poor kids.

Until 1974, fellatio was illegal. Surely, this was a law that everyone abided by until November 1, 1974. That’s when everyone went bananas and enjoyed fellatio for the first time ever.

Aren’t married? You’re not having sexual intercourse, of course. We wouldn’t do that Joe, because we don’t want to be “punished by imprisonment for not more than three months or by a fine of not more than thirty dollars.” Such pious kids you are.

Puritans were not only very concerned about your bedroom activities, but they would bring the proverbial hammer down for kissing in public. You lot are in deep trouble. You rascals.

A certain Captain Kimble was so ecstatic at seeing his wife after returning from a three year whaling voyage, that he lost all control and semblance of decorum and kissed his wife. How rude. The two hours that he spent in the stocks for his “lewd and unseemly behavior.” Hopefully that insured that he didn’t lose control again.

Did you say “Oh my god!” today? Yeah, you’re going to “…jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars.” Don’t worry, you’ll have a good time since you’ll be surrounded by all your friends and family.

Not that I’ve ever had much of an appetite at a wake, but if you aren’t like me, be careful you don’t eat more than three sandwiches or you will be pilloried. If you were thinking of bringing your gorilla with you, make sure he’s in the front seat. Because, having in the backseat would be illegal.

So will you be cited or arrested by a “bad” cop for violating a blue law? Very unlikely. Even if you did – this brings us to why they are not struck – they are a violation of the Separation Clause (in spite of the McGowan vs. Maryland ruling) and therefore unconstitutional. The government cannot be used to enforce religious tenets, let alone enforce the centuries old morals of a group of puritans.

Having said that, I’d imagine that these aren’t struck, because like everything that involves the government it’s a long, drawn out process and an expensive one to get them to empty an ashtray in a conference room let alone get anything productive done in terms of legislature. The fact, that they aren’t an issue – no one is enforcing them – makes them seem irrelevant. Let’s hope no police force or officer decides to go rogue!

If a miracle happens and the state decides to clean up these Blue Laws and strike them from the books, I’d like them to consider leaving one very important and serious Blue Law on the books. In fact, I’d like to see some stiffer penalties involved, even perhaps bringing back the pillory, stockade or even guillotine:

“Tomatoes cannot be used in clam chowder.”

Witchcraft, in my opinion.

Well it’s that time of year where the weather begins to turn. Has it seemed like this year’s summer passed especially fast? I never lugged my air conditioner down from the attic. Fast and mild. Autumn means cool mornings and evenings, but pleasant days. Luckily for us that means the only thing stopping you from a event filled weekend is a sweatshirt, hoodie or thermal shirt. Autumn is a time jam packed with festivals and other events, so gear up and head out there!

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, September 19th

Dock-U-Mentaries: Home Movies from the Fishing Industry (7:00pm)
The Dock-U-Mentaries Film Series continues with an evening of home movies from the industry. Films about the working waterfront are screened in the theater of the Corson Maritime Learning Center, located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. All programs are open to the public and presented free of charge. The hour long program will include short videos and images of life at sea and on shore provided by fishing families. Get a firsthand view of life on a commercial fishing boat with film shot by fishermen at sea. Reminisce about the days of wooden boats and the old Scallop Festival.

Painting with a Splash: Tropical Paradise (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.

9th Annual Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival (Friday-Sunday)
The most upscale wine and food festival on the East Coast has quickly become one of the most anticipated food and wine events in the country. Rosecliff, Marble House and The Elms host more than 100 of the world’s finest vintners and some of New England’s finest restaurants and food purveyors for a remarkable three-day experience. Don’t miss it!

Saturday, September 20th

UMass Dartmouth Fall Flea Market and Arts and Craft Fair (9:00am-2:00pm)
The UMass Dartmouth Labyrinth Foundation, will hold the first annual outdoor Fall Flea Market and Arts and Crafts Fair (rain date: September 27) in parking lot two on the North Dartmouth Campus, 285 Old Westport Road. Vendors may secure space (equivalent to area of a parking space) for $10.00. Each vendor may secure multiple spaces. UMass Dartmouth students may secure a space for $5.00. Vendors may display and sell from this space. For more info visit www.umassd.edu.

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.

Dartmouth YMCA Fall Festival and 5k/10k (11:00am-4:00pm)
Dartmouth YMCA’s annual Fall Festival and 5K/10K Road Race is FREE to families. Toe Jam Puppet Band will be providing music and entertainment along with a magician, reptiles, pony rides, kid’s games, fire engines, pumpkin decorating and more!!

Painting with a Splash: Sea Critter (Family Paint), Moonlit Tree, & Horseneck Beach (12:30pm, 3:00 & 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.

Meat, Seafood and More Raffle (5:00pm-8:00pm)
At the Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 5 p.m. dinner, 7 p.m. meat raffle. Over 50 winners. Serving: Italian grinder, salad, potato chips and beverage, $6.50. 121 Mt. Pleasant St.

NBSO’s 99th season kick-off: Spellbound at the “Z” (7:30pm)
Welcome to opening night of SPELLBOUND, the NBSO’s 2014-2015 season! The spellbinding season begins with the return of one of the most popular NBSO guest artists of all time, pianist Roberto Plano. Roberto will once again put us under his spell as he performs Robert Schumann’s dazzling Piano Concerto in A Minor with its dramatic opening featuring a fierce cascade on piano. The concert program also includes Paul Dukas’s symphonic poem The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, recognized by many from the Disney film Fantasia, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s most popular work, Scheherazade, inspired by the tales of The Arabian Nights.

Sunday, September 21st

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.

Corvettes and Classics Super Cruise at Fort Taber (9:00am-3:00pm)
Trophies for top corvettes, classics, trucks, motorcycles as well as food, raffles and music by Johnny Angel. All proceeds benefit Fort Taber Military Museum. Phone: (508) 542-1871. Fort Taber Park.

Edaville’s Carnival Day! (10:00am-5:00pm)
Edaville USA is exceptionally enthusiastic to be hosting a terrifically special Carnival Day on September 21st. Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Welcome to Edaville USA Carnival. Rides and excitement are everywhere to be seen.

It’s a Classic Carnival with all the splendor of the Big Top! The park will have plenty of local vendors, all of our rides, and of course the train and Dinoland. All rides and attractions are included in general park admission, so guests will be able to visit Dinoland and also enjoy unlimited use of all park amusements. General admission will be $20, with free entrance to guests under the age of 2, and $17 for seniors. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.edaville.com or at the park entrance.

Elephant Appreciation Day and Birthday Party for Ruth & Emily (12:30pm-3:00pm)
Join us at the elephant exhibit from 12 – 3pm and wish our Asian elephants a happy birthday! At 12:30pm the keepers will give a birthday cake to the elephants and cards signed by the zoo’s visitors. Visit the education stations where you can learn more about Asian elephants and small steps you can take at home to help make a big difference for all elephants. If you would like to bring a gift for Emily and Ruth – donations will be taken of unopened packages of unsalted shelled peanuts, dried fruit, and yogurt covered raisins.

Painting with a Splash: Fall Tree (15 and over) (1:30pm)
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.

By Karen Andersen

Religious worship is supposed to transform the spirit, just as a daily physical workout is meant to transform the body. Transformation was what I witnessed when I recently visited a Sunday service at the New Bedford campus of New Life Worship Center, which is located, for now, at Keith Middle School. I’ve been to many functions in Keith’s auditorium, and I’ve seen the stage transform for plays and ballets, but the transformation that New Life’s presence brought to the space was different. Inside and out, there were colorful banners and friendly people preparing for the service, and Keith Middle School was, if you’ll excuse the pun, converted.

I met with Pastor Marco DeBarros and his wife Lindsey before the service and was given a tour of their converted space with new eyes: the gym had become a wonderfully open space for Sunday school fun and learning, the halls bustled with purposeful movement, and the cafeteria shape-shifted into a welcoming parish hall for coffee hour and fellowship. We settled down at a table, with everyone in preparatory motion around us, and talked for half an hour while the anticipation of the service built steadily.

One of the questions I asked Pastor Marco was, “What is the most important message that you’d like to share?” With a casual certainty, he answered, “God is for everyone, He is involved in our day to day lives. God is not elusive, He wants to have a relationship with us.”

He wants to help us on our journey. Don’t be closed-minded. Check it out!” On August 23, New Life had a “Rock the City” rally at New Bedford’s Hazelwood Park that drew about 1,000 people to “check it out,” which, to me, seems a fantastic draw for any local religious-oriented gathering outside of the Feast. Kudos for the outreach!

They gave away diapers and clothes and backpacks for kids and raffled off a dozen bikes and a lots of gift cards for local businesses. New Life is digging in its heels in our community in a beneficial way; I think we can too often overlook the Good Works that churches do to keep up with the physical as well as spiritual needs of the people as local and national government cut spending for feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, and helping with the small things that make a difference on a limited budget.

At 11 a.m., a two-minute countdown flashed on the big screen, a signal for people to get settled in their seats (aside from all the people running around in preparation, there was also a small prayer group that met from 10 to 11 in the auditorium). At 11:02 the music began. These were not the subdued hymns of old, but much more like modern rock and roll. The band consisted of drums, electric guitar and bass, keyboards, and some lovely lead and back-up vocals. Being in the band seemed like an intense small group ministry of its own and all of the young, hip-looking people appeared to be having a great time making music together, while the crowd raised their arms in praise and sang along.

The audience wasn’t just watching, they were fully participating with mind, body, and soul. I noticed that tears were rolling down several faces, as some people were moved by the Spirit. The energy that was being raised made my spine tingle and I admit that my toes were tapping along to a beat that pulled everyone into a circle of worship that grew tighter as three songs were performed.

Then Pastor Marco appeared down front, and for the next 45 minutes, he preached the “message” for the day. Before the service, I had asked permission to take notes during the sermon and Marco told me, “Sure! Lots of people take notes.

That way you can go home and think about the message.” And sure enough, I saw many people taking notes as the sermon progressed and Pastor Marco’s message unfolded. His style was upbeat, humorous, and comfortable as he went from one idea to the next, preaching extemporaneously.

The boldest impression I got from Rev. Marco was how expertly he brought Biblical ideas into a modern context, able to be applied in daily life. Holding the Bible aloft, he proclaimed that “everything should be filtered through The Word.” He brought that down to earth by saying that the reality of the Bible is that “life is a beautiful mess;” the stories remain tangible because they “are rooted in eternal principles” that continue to reflect many aspects of our real lives. People’s lives in the time of Jesus was just as beautifully messy as it is now. Responses of “Amen” and “Truth!” chimed in over and over again as Pastor Marco worked the message.

He spoke for a while about social media and using it as a tool rather than something that can suck you in, admitting to his own Facebook usage. You have to ask yourself, “Are you using social media or is it using you?” He pointed out that we have “all the resources in the world and we’re still spiritually starving.” Judging by the numbers New Life is bringing in, he’s right.

New Life Worship Center’s branch in New Bedford opened in January of 2014 and they have close to 200 members already. There were easily 150 people there when I visited, and that’s an impressive enough number for any well-established church’s Sunday attendance, more so for a church who has been around for less than a year. I attribute this to the lively energy and atmosphere that New Life provides, feeding hungry souls, and laying out an interactive “spiritual plan” to follow with the support of others.

But New Life Worship Center hasn’t just popped up suddenly; it is part of a larger non-denominational Christian Church founded by Senior Pastors Steve and Nancy Boyce in 1988, in a small storefront church behind an A&W in Smithfield, RI. By 1993, they had purchased 40 acres in Smithfield and proceeded to build a cutting-edge worship center, which opened in 1997.

Since then, they have grown to include Kittens and Cubs day-care and early learning center, Masters Regional Academy, which is a high school, and Northeast Leadership Center, a 9 month program of Ministry Art and Biblical Studies. I should also mention that they have grown to include four campuses, located in Smithfield and E. Greenwich, RI, and Fall River and New Bedford, MA.

Pastor Marco is a teacher at Northeast Leadership and formerly taught at Masters Regional Academy, as well as serving as its Chaplain, and that experience is evident in his ministry. While he was able to reach out easily to the congregation and hold their attention during his message, he also exhibited the mark of any good leader: he inspired others to leadership and service. The very last thing he mentioned in his message was, “A Christian who doesn’t serve is an oxymoron.” Service to God, the Church, and each other is certainly the overarching theme of New Life.

As Pastor Marco left the floor, he was replaced by half a dozen others who ministered to whoever needed it in the charismatic style of prayer and laying-on-of-hands for healing and support. As we all proceeded to coffee hour, outside in the warm sun, I got to speak with several people. They were all passionate about the church, with a certain level of evangelism, but it never got pushy or preachy. It didn’t need to. The group dynamic spoke for itself; this is a safe and happy place for individuals and families to worship the Lord, live The Word, and become part of a community of like-minded people.

One of the members, a kind and interesting young gentleman named Julius, told me, “A boring church is a dead church.” That message is one that every church or spiritual/religious group should heed; when any institution fails to take into account the realities of modern life, they are on the path to extinction. While other churches that have been around for centuries are closing their doors, New Life is expanding with a message that is supportive and practical, in a casual, yet structured, atmosphere.

Sunday services happen at Keith Middle School in New Bedford at 11 a.m., there is a youth group for teens that meets Sunday nights at the Fall River campus (1082 Davol St.), and there are many “Life Groups” to be involved in, including a men’s group, a women’s group, a married with children group, and a married without children group. For more information, explore the New Life Worship Center’s extensive website at www.atnewlife.org or just show up on a Sunday with an open mind. You will find a lot of enthusiasm and you will certainly not be bored.

New Life Worship Center

225 Hathaway Blvd
New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740
Phone: (401) 232-5200

Sundays at 11am
Keith Middle School Auditorium

Facebook: facebook.com/NewLifeNewBedford/timeline
Website: atnewlife.org/
Sermons: atnewlife.org/sermons/serieslist
En Español: atnewlife.org/bienvenidos-a-new-life

I wrote an article last week, Meeting Houses – One of New Bedford’s First Churches, Community Centers, about one of the first churches built in the greater New Bedford area. As I was thinking about the article, I realized I should have first started with giving an explanation of what a church is.

Many different churches exist with many different teachings happening inside of them. Driving around New Bedford alone, you will see churches, a synagogue, a mosque…and then there are rented out buildings, theaters and high schools that act as churches or meeting places, as well.

But why is it that those with a common faith, regardless of what religion they adhere to, commit to meeting together regularly? What is the purpose behind synagogues, mosques, churches or any other area designated for people to come together in?

Here is a little background on three different faiths and how the idea of ‘church’ plays out.

The Synagogue
For the Jew, the synagogue is an important place for prayer and study, specifically.

Many think that Jewish education ends with the bar mitzvah, but Jews who are more serious commit their whole lives to learning.

Many synagogues have libraries of Jewish sacred texts to learn and study from. But the synagogue holds other purposes as well, especially in modern times; they often act as social centers and places where charitable works are carried out. Here are some of the foundational beliefs of the Jew: there is only one God (this belief is called monotheism); people are made in the image of God and, therefore, are equal; the Messiah (Christ) will unite the world in unity and peace one day; they do not believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah.

This is an important point for the Jew, since they do not believe He has already come; they read and believe only in the Old Testament, and the New Testament does not hold any value for them. They are still waiting for the Messiah’s coming.

The Mosque
For the Muslim, a mosque is the central part of communities and towns. There are strict requirements to making sure a building can truly be considered a mosque in some sects of the Islamic religion.

In Muslim countries mosques are common on most streets, making it easier for Muslim men to meet the requirement of praying five times a day. Muslims believe you can pray anywhere, but the reward will be greater by praying in a mosque. The Qur’an (Koran) is taught here; the Muslim believes that Muhammad was a prophet that received Allah’s final revelation and was then written down and now makes up the chapters and verses in the Qur’an.

Mosques are also used as centers for information and education, and it is also a place where disputes can be settled. Here are some of the foundational beliefs of the Muslim: there is no other god but Allah; the required number of daily prayers has to be met; Ramadan must be observed (a month of fasting during the day, but they are allowed to eat at night); they must give alms (finances); there is one required trip to Mecca during a lifetime; and this last point, still being debated, is the use of violence to promote the Muslim faith. If a Muslim dies fighting this battle, they believe they are guaranteed to go to heaven.

The Church
For the Christian, a specific type of church building or designated meeting place can take different shapes, sizes and forms. Often Christians will meet together in a rented building that meets the specific needs they are looking for, or they will meet in a home, or in a church with a steeple.

So, the building itself is not the most important thing. What is important to the Christian is meeting with God. In the Old Testament God said, “I will be your God, and you will be My people.” The Christian believes God desires to have communion, to meet with His people.

The Old Testament tells the story of how God met this promise in many different ways. And all those ways were pointing to who would come in the New Testament. When Jesus Christ was born and came on the scene in the New Testament, the Christian believes that God truly did meet with man. They believe that Jesus, being God’s Son and equal with God, entered into humanity, walked this earth, and experienced the sorrows common to all mankind. The New Testament tells of how Christ was tempted just like people, but He did not sin. This is why Christ’s life is the Christian’s example to follow. T

he gospels (the first four books of the New Testament) also contain another promise, this time made by Christ – that He would send the Holy Spirit to live inside His people, so God and man could always be in communion. The Christian believes that each individual believer makes up a part of the church. This is why many Christians will meet anywhere to worship, pray, and learn more of God.

Here are some of the foundational beliefs of the Christian: the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, are God’s inspired word; salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ and His life, death and resurrection for the forgiveness and removal of personal sins; all have sinned and need forgiveness; God exists as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

As you drive by places of worship around New Bedford have you thought about the diversity among the many different faiths that are expressed in this city? Have you thought about your own faith?

*****************************************UPDATE!!!***************************************

The South Coast Panther’s Learn to Skate and Learn to Play programs had a successful first session! Over 50 new, local kids joined the two programs. Now that the fall sports’ season has ended, it is time to head to the ice rink. Boys and girls are welcome!

Even if you may have missed the first session of Learn to Skate and Learn to Play, it is not too late to join or get caught up with the basics of skating. Session 2 and session 3 will continue to focus on the basics that were taught in session 1. Everyone is encouraged to join regardless of skill level!

The South Coast Panthers Youth Hockey Association is an effective regional hockey program offered to both boys and girls. For many years, the program was known as the Hetland Panthers. Over the last four years, the league has experienced tremendous growth while attracting kids from as far west at Tiverton RI, as far east as the Bourne Bridge and as far north as Taunton.

For this upcoming season, they have over 200 boys and girls playing hockey on 17 different teams that compose teams from the Mites (6-8 yrs olds) to the Midgets (high school kids)! The teams compete in the South Shore Conference and in the Southern New England Hockey Conference in Rhode Island.

Talking with the organizers and coaches, they were clear that their mission is to offer a quality hockey environment that allows boys and girls of all ages to be properly developed, to learn the game of hockey and to compete at the highest level.

In order for the South Coast Panthers to achieve its mission, it must offer a solid foundation that develops the younger kids into well rounded and competitive hockey players. To achieve this, they offer a Learn to Skate (LTS) Program and a Learn to Play (LTP) Program.

Does your child have an interest in learning hockey but has never played hockey? The Learn To Skate program is perfect! The fundamentals of skating are taught and repeated through various drills. This program is held on Sunday mornings for a total of 50 minutes.

If your child loves hockey and has already participated in the Learn To Skate program and is ready to take the next step to learning the game of hockey, the Learn To Play program is the next step. This program’s curriculum is designed to build on the basics that were learned in the Learn To Skate program and to incorporate the game of hockey. Kids will participate in small skill stations and will play small area hockey games toward the end of the program. This program is held on Sunday mornings for 80 minutes.

Both the Learn To Skate and Learn To Play programs are instructed by USA Hockey certified coaches who are very experienced in hockey and have had a successful career playing hockey. These coaches believe in high energy and high tempo practices that will make it fun for the kids – one of the top priorities.

Each session is eight weeks in length taking place on each Sunday. There are breaks for holidays like Veteran’s Day and Columbus Day. Below is an information card with the specific dates and other pertinent information. In addition, the photo gallery below has the information in both Spanish and Portuguese.

REGISTER HERE

South Coast Panthers

Facebook: facebook.com/southcoastpanthers
Website: southcoastpanthers.com/
Contact Us Page: leagueathletics.com/Support/BF6.asp?org=southcoastpanthers.com

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In order to continue hosting these events and benefiting local charities, the Mattapoisett Police Officer’s Association established a charity golf tournament which will be held on Monday October 6th 2014 at 8:30 a.m. @ Allendale Country Club 1047 Allen St. Dartmouth, MA. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. If you are interested in playing golf, or unable to play golf but would like to make a donation and/or donate a raffle prize please complete the attached form or visit www.mpoagolf.com for further information. We need your assistance in order to make this important charity event a success. Please try to help in anyway possible. Thank you in advance for all your support!

REGISTRATION FORM (.PDF)