Hip-Hop Violin Due to Come to New Bedford for One Show Only
Black Violin will perform at the Zeiterion Theater Friday May 29, 8PM
A decade since its inception, Black Violin has been named Top 5 New Artists at the popular South by Southwest music festival, performed at President Obama’s inaugural ball, and sold out a 16-night run on Broadway.
The pair stands out for their genre-bending style, evident in their eclectic assortment of collaborations. Black Violin has written and performed with Hip-Hop stand outs Kanye West, Wu-Tang, and Nas as evergreen music legends Aretha Franklin, The Eagles, and Tom Petty.
Classical influences from Bach’s concertos and Puccini’s operas meld with contemporary hip-hop and rock, alongside mid-century R&B and early bluegrass.
Not only do the pair put on an incredible show, as evident by their overnight success, but they are activists for keeping musical education in our schools. The two see their collaboration as a way of overcoming obstacles, the temptation of the street, and staying strong.
Check out “A Flat” (2012) and you’ll be hooked.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/gEIVzWCRSg8
Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind performance by the up-coming genre-breaking music moguls Black Violin.
Here are the winners of the 2015 Taste of South Coast hosted by Downtown New Bedford Inc.
People’s Choice Food Awards
1. Lindsey’s Restaurant
2. Brew Fish Bar and Eatery
3. E.J.’s Restaurant and Deli
Best Table Presentation Award
1. Fay’s Restaurant and Catering
2. Ying Dynasty
3. Dorothy Cox Candies
People’s Choice Dessert Awards
1. Le Desserterie
2. Mad Good Cookie Company
3. Artisan Bake Shop
Hit Me With Your Best Shot: Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo Review
By Mia Germain
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo blow the roof off of New Bedford’s Zeiterion Theater
The red carpeted aisles are nearly invisible beneath the wall-to-wall crowd dancing on its feet and singing along all night long. Hoards of people clad in everything from leather jackets to pink tutus flood New Bedford’s Union Street, and slam the Z bar before the show. Fans discuss their first times seeing Benatar on stage–and the next four times they saw her as well. It is clear from the get-go that much like our very own Zeiterion Theater, Pat Benatar is a fixture that transcends generations.
Benatar and her husband, long-time guitar player, and writing partner “spyder” Giraldo, flood the stage with an energy and presence that few young, fresh artists can muster, and they’ve been doing it for over 35 years.
The concert was not just a throwback to glory days, reliving good memories and great songs, but it was an entirely new experience on its own, completely alive and thriving–barely contained within the Z’s historic four walls.
Every single song was greeted by audience members leaping to their feet, singing along to every word and chanting every chorus. The night was lively and upbeat, even the security guards were dancing. The duo took a moment to recognize their own relationship with an anecdote of the first song they ever wrote about their experiences together in love, introducing “Promises in the Dark”.
Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo rock the Zeiterion Theatre!
The two are far from behind the times, inviting the audience to reach out to them on facebook the next day to tell them how they enjoyed the show. “I hope you’re having as much fun as we are,” Giraldo tells the audience with a grin. Before playing another karaoke night favorite, “We Belong to the Light,” Benatar gives her congratulations to a couple in the audience married just a few days before, who reached out to her on social media to let her know they would be in attendance tonight.
“We hadn’t anticipated what [this song] would become to you, our fans were happy that someone had finally brought this issue into the light and had given them a voice. We hope that someday we won’t have to play it any more,” Benatar says on a somber note before transitioning into “Hell is for Children.” The tone took on a more serious note, but fans were rapt in the power of the moment, and what a monumental song it was then and still is today.
Photo by Travis Shinn
Pat Benatar has been a force to be reckoned with since before MTV, then conquered the new platform and continues to do so today even after it has aged into obscurity. It is not enough to say that she is a voice of a generation, because she has proven herself to be truly timeless. The audience, with chills down their spines from the sheer intensity of her performance are a testament to her power.
Not a single person onstage, backstage, or in the audience wanted to leave the theater that night. It was a party that the Zeiterion, New Bedford, and Benatar herself are sure to never forget.
“There’s some bad stuff going on in the rest of the world, so we are going to put our hands together and send them some good cheer,” Benatar preached, closing out the night on a flawless note.
One of my favorite places to walk in the SouthCoast area is Gooseberry Island in Westport. Gooseberry Island is the town of Westport’s southernmost point, and is part of the Horseneck Beach State Reservation. Located between east and west beach of Westport, it is an excellent place to go for a nature walk. Parking is free, and dogs are allowed- those two criteria make it a winner in my book.
The walk around the island takes about an hour depending on how much beachcombing, ball throwing, picnicking, or fishing is taking place. The beach is either very rocky or very quicksand-y, but the walk is well worth the effort and the terrain easily traversed with a solid pair of sneakers. There is always something interesting to find along the walk, whether it be stone art left by a previous perambulator, or egg cases from the area’s array of shellfish and sharks. Occasionally a ripe rotting ocean specimen can be washed up by the tide, and in times like these I have been grateful to have a leash for my dog. There are also some roped off areas designated as shorebird nesting sites- we steer clear of these with our furry friends as well. There is plenty of beautiful beach for everyone to share.
Gooseberry Island has an interesting history that I wasn’t aware of until researching for this article. From my many walks around the island, I had seen the two ghostly cement towers that are out there and could only guess at their function. The towers, and a couple of cement foundations half covered by brush are all that is left of what was once a thriving summer community.
A causeway connects the Westport mainland to the island about 0.17 miles away. Before the causeway was built, Gooseberry Island was connected to Westport by a natural sandbar, which could be walked during low tide. There has been some debate about whether the causeway has negatively affected the ecology of Gooseberry Island. It created a permanent barrier that can trap seaweed and other ocean debris on either side of the island. This replaced the transient sandbar that was there originally which allowed flotsam and jetsam to float freely from west to east and back again when tide permitted. Despite this potential drawback, it has definitely made travel to the island by car a lot easier, and allowed for the relatively rapid transition of Gooseberry Island into a vintage vacation hot spot.
The first written records of Gooseberry Island date back to 1602 from accounts of Bartholomew Gosnold’s adventures exploring, mapping, and naming Cape Cod and the surrounding islands. It was during these expeditions that he named the Elizabethan Islands, including Cuttyhunk Island, which can be seen from the beach on Gooseberry Island. Gooseberry Island was first settled in 1670, and used for grazing sheep up until it was purchased by a private landowner in the early twentieth century. The causeway was built between 1913 and 1924, which opened up the possibility of development on the island. Gooseberry was then sold again, and the new owners created vacation lots which residents were permitted to build summer houses on.
By the early 1950’s Gooseberry Island had at least 81 buildings, many of which were permanent structures. Unfortunately, the exposed nature of the island made it a prime spot for hurricane damage, and these residences took some major hits. The hurricane of 1938 caused major destruction on the island, and the final blows were struck by Hurricane Carol in 1954. The damage to property was so extensive that, in 1956, the state of Massachusetts took over the 73 acres of Gooseberry Island as an addition to the nearby Horseneck Beach State Reservation.
Most of the residential remains were removed from the island to restore its natural profile, and much of what evidence remains is covered by beach plums and other dense woody shrubbery. A dirt road and some smaller dirt paths still dissect the island. As for the two cement towers that are still standing on the there, they are leftovers from World War II. They were used for lookout and fire control towers for large coastal guns in nearby Rhode Island, although the lookout towers never saw battle, and the guns were never fired except in practice. The military took over about six acres of the island in the early 1940’s, and built the towers. Apparently they were originally intended to be disguised as farm structures, possibly as extremely unattractive silos or windmills. Their camouflage has worn off, unfortunately, and the two towers stick out of the scenery like a graffiti-tatted sore thumb.
Although they are not beautiful, the towers are a fascinating reminder of Gooseberry Island’s past life. The beauty of the rest of the island definitely makes up for this with gorgeous views, rare wildlife, amazing rock formations, and plentiful photo opportunities. I am never disappointed when visiting this very special place, and plan to visit whenever possible now that the earth has warmed up again.
If you are interested in finding out more about Gooseberry Island, I found the following website very informative: gooseberryjournal.wordpress.com
Taste Of SouthCoast Festival 2015
The 9th Annual Taste Of SouthCoast festival is scheduled for Sunday, May 17 from 12 noon to 5 pm. It will be located on City Pier 3 in New Bedford’s sponsored by the Pier Fish Company. The “tasting” goes until 3:15, but music and fun continue right through 5:00 pm with The Dave Charnley Band. They will provide a mix of Chicago style blues, country, Caribbean and swing.
Sample and taste a variety of offerings from more than 20 area restaurants, caterers and bakeries. The following have signed on to date:
All Friends Smokehouse
Artisan Bake Shop
Black Tie Cookies
The Black Whale Seafood & Raw Bar
Brazilian Grill
Brew Fish Bar & Eatery
Café Arpeggio-
Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop
Dorothy Cox Candies, Inc.
EJ’s Restaurant and Deli
Emma Jean’s Bakery, Café & Ice Cream Shoppe
Fay’s Restaurant & Catering-
Freestones City Grill
Le Desserterie
Lindsey’s Restaurant
Mad Good Cookie Co
Morton’s Fork Catering
No Problemo
Olive Garden Restaurant
Paddy’s Hot Dog Shop
Tia Maria’s European Café
Ying Dynasty
Downtown New Bedford Inc. is still recruiting participants. Contact (508) 990-2777 to sign up.
A major feature of Taste of SouthCoast is a spirit of friendly competition that will culminate in awards. Participants cast their votes for their favorites in the following categories: The “People’s Choice” Awards will go to the most voted for food and dessert offering and “Best Booth Presentation” awards will go to the participant that receives the most votes for best decorated and creative booth.
The “Taste” offers something for everyone to enjoy! New England crafted beers, locally grown and bottled wines, and soft drinks are available to complement the food offerings. The GLCPS will do face painting for children, The New Bedford Fire Museum will offer antique fire truck rides, and our friends from Buttonwood Park will bring surprise visitors.
The Taste Of SouthCoast is held rain or shine under the tents City Pier 3. The GPS address is 228 MacArthur Drive. Parking is free in the downtown at meters, at the Whale’s Tooth Parking lot with free shuttle service. Parking is also free at the Elm Street Parking Garage, and the YMCA.
TICKETS: $15 at all the Douglas and Cardoza Wine & Spirit stores, or call 508-990-2777 to find a closer location. $18 day of the event for adults, $6 for children 6-12, free for 5 and younger.
Photos by Sally Spooner.
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City On A Hill Public Charter School offers free schooling, preparation for higher education, and emphasizes citizenship
City On A Hill Charter Public Schools are three high schools in Boston and New Bedford whose presence have affected thousands of lives in a positive way, prepared the same lot for higher education and helped them hone the necessary social skills and community outreach to be productive citizens.
Charter schools have been quite the hot topic as of late. Starting in 1991 in Minnesota, the number charter schools in America has grown exponentially. Today, there are over 5,600 schools with over 2 million students enrolled. Charter schools have gained in popularity, because many are top performers in the nation when it comes to schools period. In addition, a higher percentage of students that graduate from a charter school are accepted into a university or college.
Why Charter Schools?
Charter schools, like City On A Hill were created because of what some passionate educators, saw as failures in the public school system. These educators felt that the government was too restrictive in terms of curriculum and that many students were adequately prepared for higher education. They wanted more freedom, input and control with what they taught and how they taught it. The model was to take responsibility for a student’s achievements. They believed that the educators themselves should be held accountable and that the blame should not be placed on the students for poor performance, but on the staff.
City on a Hill’s dedicated staff lead by example – here they are about to run the New Bedford Half-Marathon to raise monies for the tutorial program.
A cookie cutter curriculum that fits all students was felt to be impractical and left those students who needed extra attention, struggling. Those students who excelled were also left under-stimulated, bored and unchallenged. This freedom allows the staff to alter the curriculum to fit each individual student’s needs on a daily basis. Advanced students would be challenged, excel and showcase those talents. Students who needed extra attention would get that extra attention and not be left behind.
Furthermore, going beyond academics, charter schools feel strongly about making their presence strongly felt in the community. Whether it’s raising monies for a local charity, doing community work like environmental clean-ups, or some other type of activity, charter schools feel this connection to the community is an extremely important aspect to a complete schooling.
Charter Schools are public schools, therefore FREE
Contrary to belief there are no special requirements and there is no tuition – charter schools are open to all children. They are public schools that adhere to all state regulations.
City On A Hill at 384 Purchase Street is one of New England’s premier charter schools. They take all of the aforementioned attributes and go beyond them. Principal Kim Wall, graduate of Harvard Graduate School of Education and two year principal of Nativity Prep before her tenure at City On A Hill, is determined to provide a unique school culture, unparalleled in the area. She takes her role very seriously. “I am honored, privileged, and blessed to work with the students, families, and staff at City on a Hill New Bedford. Everyday, I wake up excited to go to school. Passion, flexibility, teamwork , and consistency anchor our work. No two school days are the same and I love that.”
CoaH’s high standards of academics lead to results like these in the Math MCAS.
Principal Wall and staff haven’t re-invented the wheel, but are developing more effective ways to promote positive transfer, or insuring that learning – academic and social – is taking place. This is born out when discussing with students what their experiences were. “This school is all about graduating and going to college. They prepare you for life. They’ll help you in as many ways as possible. They’re very understanding and that’s what makes CoaH unique. I really like this school and you might too.” declared student, Julie Chauvin.
Other students, like Joshua Semidey felt that the smaller school translated into a more intimate environment “CoaH is a small school, and I like that because you can make a family here. It’s not just your small group of friends, and you know the whole school, and they’re all family…every one of the teachers care for the students, and they’ll help you succeed.”
While students will encounter the standard topics like mathematics, English, History, Spanish and Science, to graduate they will also have to complete two other special courses. One is a city project course whereby they research and identify a local issue, write a paper and complete 100 hours of service to that issue. The other is a Literacy & Numeracy course whereby they meet tutors in individually planned sessions. This course will prepare the students for not only AP exams and MCAS, but any class, course or job that will involve math or reading. Which is pretty much every job that exists. It’s extra. It goes above and beyond. It will serve these students for the entirety of their professional and personal lives.
A staff focused on your students present and future education
But the positive experience certainly isn’t limited to just the students. Tutorial supervisor, Sam Johnson went into some detail about an exchange with a student during her first month at City On A Hill. This particular student was doubtful about his college options, because he wanted to relocate to California where Stanford University was – his first choice and dream. Johnson reaffirmed to this student that she and the staff at City On A Hill would do everything in their power to ensure that he would be attending Stanford and that he’d better start reading travel books on California.
This particular discussion was a powerful one for Johnson. It was a moment early on that let her know that she had made the right career choice. This is why she gets up in the morning – not just to educate, but to inspire and motivate. “I want to make sure students not only know that they have the ability to go to college, but that they also know about as many college options as possible, so that they pick the college that is the best for them.
One of the ways CoaH prepares their students for college? These students are doing a mock MCAS on a Saturday!
It’s also equally important to me that this conversation starts during their 9th grade year so that they have this light at the end of the tunnel that they are constantly working toward – not just during their 11th or 12th grade year when the opportunity gap is widening and their possibilities can be much more limited.”
So what kind of results have CoaH had? 100% of CoaH students pass the MCAS and every single one of them “…earn college acceptance or placement in a post-secondary program appropriate to their learning needs.” This is impressive in itself, but when you take into account that the majority of the students who initially come to Coah from other public schools, arrive performing under their grade level.
When it comes to preparing the students for higher education, the teachers have a number of resources at hand. The juniors and seniors are enrolled in seminar courses lead by college counselors. They will fill out college applications, housing, meal planning and financial aid forms, and even take SATs. Having every question answered along the way.
When you have a staff that loves doing what they are doing, are passionate about their goals, and positively driven towards ensuring that the students have a positive, lasting experience that will serve them a lifetime, you have something special. City On A Hill is just such a place and if you spend just a few short minutes with anyone from the staff or one of the students, you will find out quickly for yourself. If you know someone’s child that attends City On A Hill, just ask them about their experience. I’ve included some testimonials at the bottom of this article, but you can also peruse their photo stream to get a visual perspective of what happens at City On A Hill.
If you are not pleased with the current state of public schools and considering a charter school, there are a number of excellent reasons to do so. If you want your child or children to have a unique experience by educators who go above and beyond what is required, you would be hard pressed to find a better place than City On A Hill. Passionate, inspired educators doing what they love and want to do, taking each student on an individual basis and preparing them for higher education and life, sums up what City On A Hill is and does – with proven results.
Currently City On A Hill has a 9th grade and will add one grade per school year, culminating in a complete high school with grades 9-12 in the 2017-2018 school year. It is at the current Church Street location temporarily, but will move to its downtown location (384 Purchase Street) once renovations are done.
So how does one enrolla child or children into the school? The demand is high, so to be fair to all, there is a lottery process. The application is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese and can be found here.
Testimonials“What I Iike about CoaH is almost everything. To start off every teacher is very caring and tries very hard to help you become successful. Since we are a small community, everyone knows who you are…[and the] tutors, who are also amazing at getting to know you and become not only your teacher but also a friend.” –Gary Brum Jr., student.
“I like how the teachers are very determined to help you succeed. They work hard to get you where you need to be no matter how challenging it is. They believe in you. CoaH is a very great school for you if you plan on going to college.” –Alyssa Cardoso, student.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work in several schools, and I am fortunate to now be working at City on a Hill. It’s a privilege to work with staff and students who have set their goal on college, and I am greatly enjoying helping them to realize this goal.”–Kerri Furtado, teacher.
“With the small amount of students enrolling at City on a Hill, we get more one-on-one attention with the teachers. This allows us to better understand the curriculum. They are kind and patient with us… I’m glad that I made the decision to come here. My journey so far has included meeting new people, making new friends and learning new things. I hope that my journey to college continues in this way!” –Emilie Lapointe, student.
“CoaH is different from other schools because we are a family. I get more support and help from CoaH than from any other school that I’ve been to.” –Omarylis Lopez, student.
“I like how it’s a small school and in classes there are no more than 25 people, so it’s easier to learn in class. I like how we have tutorial too because no other school has it and it gives you the extra help and support that some of us need.” –Kyara Polanco, student.
<em”>What I love about CoaH is we get a lot of help whenever we need it. The teachers here are great and they care about us. We have a lot of activities. We have a lot of fun. This school makes me believe that I’ll get into college.” –Zillah Carrion, student.
A Walk with Cody the Coyote at the Buttonwood Park Zoo
New Bedford Guide visited the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford, Massachusetts and attached two GoPro cameras to Cody the Coyote. Here’s the video of Cody exploring the zoo. The video was made possible by the amazing staff at the Buttonwood Park Zoo and with he support of Ashley Ford.
About Cody
An orphaned coyote pup, now named Cody, came to the Buttonwood Park Zoo in July of 2014 from Minnesota. Cody was found at 4 weeks old and was bottle fed by a wildlife rehabilitator in order to survive. Since Cody has imprinted to humans, he can no longer be released into the wild and was welcomed to the Buttonwood Park Zoo.
Zoo staff spent several months acclimating Cody to his new surroundings with the goal of making him an animal ambassador for his species. Since coyotes are shy and skittish by nature, it took considerable time and effort to get Cody to become comfortable with all the sights and sounds of the zoo.
Visitors may now regularly see zoo staff and Cody out on walks exploring the zoo, educating visitors about coyotes, and allowing an up close look at one of the zoo’s newest members. Many of the animals residing at the zoo, like Cody, are orphaned or injured wildlife that can no longer be returned to the wild.
Photos
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Our Interview with Béla Fleck
By Mia Germain
Rhythm, Blues, and Appalachian Murder Ballads
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn coming to the Zeiterion Theater this Sunday, April 12th, 7PM
Fifteen-time GRAMMY winner, Béla Fleck, and his wife Abigail Washburn have teamed up for an incredible example of the versatility and musicality of the banjo. Stringing together influences from jazz to appalachian murder ballads, the unique result is entirely captivating and a true feat of art. Both industry giants on their own, this partnership has proved to be one of talent, creativity, and ingenuity. The culmination of their eclectic relationship is a moment in music history that is not to be missed. For tickets please visit http://www.zeiterion.org/
I had the pleasure of interviewing Béla, where he revealed his love for the Massachusetts Southcoast, the trifles of being a couple in a group, and what we can hope to see from the duo in the future.
Mia Germain – Have either of you been to this area before? If so, what are your favorite things about the south coast of Massachusetts?Béla Fleck – I have had the good fortune to play New Bedford at least 3 times that I can remember and possibly 4!I’ve played there with The Flecktones, with the African Project, and in duet with Chick Corea. I’m so happy to get to play there again, with my wife Abigail Washburn.Also I used to live in Boston – way back – and I spent a lot of time in the area. I love it.
Photo by Jim McGuire
Mia Germain – Both of your careers have taken you to incredible places around the world, how does place and setting influence your music?
Béla Fleck – I feel like a great experience can happen anywhere, and some of the best are outside of the major cities.
Audiences really appreciate your visit, and you also don’t compete with as many shows for attention.
That said, it’s fun to play ‘destination gigs’ like Telluride Bluegrass Festival, or Newport Folk/Jazz Fests, where the location is part of the draw.
Give me a funky old theatre though, and I get comfy and tend to play at my best.
Mia Germain – You have done some informal collaborations before this album, but what is the musical dynamic between you like when it is all off the record-before this album and now?
Béla Fleck – Abby and I have been playing together since we became a couple, music is a part of our couplehood.
And when we formalized that natural collaboration, and started taking it on the road, it was an unexpectedly smooth transition.
We are very comfortable with each other, and there is a lot of trust, so sometimes it means we push each other into unfamiliar waters, and take more risks that we might in a less safe environment. But mostly it just flows and we have a lot of fun playing our banjos together.
Mia Germain – On this album, how was the collaboration and songwriting process as a couple different-or not-from both of your experiences previous?
Béla Fleck – This is the first one where it was just the two of us. That felt really good.
In the past, I have helped Abby to produce her albums occasionally, and we worked together with the Sparrow Quartet, a wonderful group featuring Casey Driessen and Ben Sollee. But being a couple in a group is a trifle awkward.
This is a very direct interaction with no one in between.
Photo by Jim McGuire
Mia Germain – How has this experience been, of touring as a family?
Béla Fleck – It’s truly ‘living the dream’, as so many people say to us.
So many of our musician friends have had to spend a lot of time away from their kids and partners in order to make the family bacon. In this situation we get to do it together, and be with our son Juno most of the time. He’s acclimated well to the touring life, and we have a very special touring team who take care of him when we get busy. It’s very sweet.
Mia Germain – Obviously, the birth of your son was instrumental in the timing of this long-awaited collaboration, but how has he influenced your own musicality, and what effect can we hope to see in the future from his presence in your lives?
Béla Fleck – Having a child makes a lot of things instantly clear – and what’s important becomes very obvious very fast. So as a couple – it’s no longer just about us, and we have embraced that. He also changed me from someone who really couldn’t relate to kids that well to someone who really enjoys them.
As far as the music, my music has benefited from becoming less important in the scheme of things. I think I was overly obsessed with music sometimes, and it didn’t always make the music better – it just made me edgy and nervous. Playing music feels very joyful and complete now.
And also I’ve written a few things that I just wouldn’t have written before I became a father.
But Abigail is a huge influence on me too, and playing with her has brought out the more sensitive and melodic parts of my playing. I love it…
Golf is an interesting sport. It is the only activity that is universally heralded as a great getaway, a relaxing 3-4 hours away from the daily grind and a chance to catch up with friends or co-workers, yet somehow always ends in shattered confidence and frustration. Well, that is, if you’re a bogie + golfer like me. If you’re a scratch golfer then the above may be true and you can add laughing at people like me on the golf course to the list.
I have always loved playing golf but could never quite put all the pieces together. Which is why you can often find me fishing golf balls out of shallow creeks and from behind thick hedges. I get very excited when I find a muddy Titleist that was left for dead last spring. I just cant justify spending $50-$60 dollars on top-of-the-line golf balls when I’m quite certain they are going to end up in my accountants back yard just off of the 4th tee box.
We all know that using better equipment will improver your game regardless of the level you are playing at. A few years back I finally caved in and upgraded my driver and 3 wood. It instantly improved my score and I was very pleased. It just gets too expensive and at a certain point we make sacrifices that set us back. I have always known that using a better golf ball will improve my game but, again, they are just too expensive. So I have to wait for Christmas when I will undoubtedly find some in my stocking. Then a friend of mine told me about Dean Snell and his new line of top tier golf balls made explicitly for armature golfers looking to boost their game and save some money in the process.
Dean Snell
Dean Snell, founder of Snell Golf
If you don’t know already, Dean Snell has been in the golf ball game for 25 years. He worked for both Titleist and TaylorMade during his tenure. Dean worked on the team that created the Titleist Pro V1, which started in the mid 90’s and was released in 2000. The Pro V1 revolutionized the golf ball industry and set the standard in golf ball technology. This ball continues to be a best seller but sells for $62 a dozen on their website, too rich for my blood. Dean was also contracted to make the very first Taylor Made golf ball. He used his expertise and knowledge to develop some of the games finest products and is still named on 38 of the industries top patents.
Snell Golf
As you can imagine Dean is a golf enthusiast. Over the years he has noticed a down turn in the armature golf community. He attributes this to the average golfer just not having the financial means to continuously shell out exorbitant amounts of money for golf balls, green fees, range balls, new clubs, and all the costs that come along with playing this great sport. So he decided to leave the corporate giants and start Snell Golf. Dean brings his industry knowledge and expertise to Snell Golf balls but cuts out all of the middlemen. No corporate mark-ups, sales teams or marketing cost. His overhead is very low so the price is too. According to Dean his golf balls are “a low investment for a great product”. These golf balls are sold only online at www.snellgolf.com and all orders ship free right to your door.
Snell Golf has two golf balls to choose from.
The “My Tour Ball”: This ball uses the thin cast urethane cover technology that has been successful on tour. It is a multi-layered cast urethane covered tour caliber ball that has total tee to green performance for golfers of all skill levels. The ball also features a low compression high velocity core allowing lower driver spin rates and faster ball speeds for all swing speeds for longer and straighter drives. The mantle, or inner layer, works with the core and the cover to control the spin rates on the irons. The cast urethane cover is a tour proven technology that allows excellent short game spin and control while delivering soft feel and outstanding durability.
This is a top tier golf ball and sells for only $31.99 per dozen on the web site and ships for FREE.
The “Get Sum”: this is a high performance 2-piece golf ball that is designed for soft feel and lower spin rates. These lower spin rates help players reduce hooks and slices, and allows the ball to fly straighter and longer. A large, oversized core allows us to keep driver spin rates low, and create extraordinarily fastball speeds for all swing speeds. The soft, Surlyn® cover technology creates great feel and excellent durability. This 2-piece design allows the ball to fly straighter and make it easier to get the ball up in the air. This is an outstanding all-around ball for players of all skill levels and sells for only $20.99 per dozen and, again, ships for FREE.
If your not sure which one is best for you Snell Golf offers a Testing Pack which comes with 6 of each for only $26.99 and, you guessed it, ships for FREE.
Dean was recently recognized in a Golf Digest article for his amazing resume in the golf ball technology industry and commended for his eagerness to produce great golf balls at affordable prices. You can read the full article here: Golf Digest- Snell Golf.
I’ll let Dean close this one out with a great quote that has already motivated me to order some Snell Golf balls and book my next tee time:
“The motivation I have to start this company is to try to help grow the game. If I can help in any way, I can help with the cost of the golf ball. I can give you the performance and the technology that you’re looking for at an affordable price to help you go out and play more.” –Dean Snell
Note – Winners of New Bedford Guide’s Facebook giveaway will be notified via Facebook message on Wednesday, April 8. Prizes can be picked up at Spectrum Marketing Group at 651 Orchard Street in New Bedford or can be shipped, free of charge.
A Night of Enchantment
By Mia Germain
Five time Tony Award-winning Peter and the Starcatcher captures the imaginations of children and adults at the Zeiterion Theater.
Once upon a time in a land far, far away three bright red caravans rolled down the cobblestone streets of a sleepy whaling town. Little did the townspeople know, a miracle was just beginning to unfold.
“Shut the f–aucet,” an exuberant young actress playing Molly, yells across the Zeiterion stage. Muffled giggles bubble up from younger audience members.
The evening was not all make believe and happy endings, “everything ends…and so our story begins.” An underlying tone of seriousness and openly existential musings tell the story of how a boy never grew up, creating an impactful depth to the light as a feather story of flight and fancy that is Peter Pan.
A company of just 12 actors armed with household rope, paper boats, and a ladder use traditional storytelling techniques manage to transcend their means with the ingenuity of Donyale Werle (Scenic Design) and Steven Hoggett (Movement).
“And use your thoughts to hoist the sails and deck the ships awaiting us this early, gray,and misty dawn in 1885…”
There is a sense of trust the actors invest into the audience, to take their word that this rope is a glimpse into Molly and her Nanny’s cabin aboard the S.S. Neverland, or that these paper triangles are the jaws of a ravenous Tic Toc the Croc. The simplicity in this mode of storytelling, as it was long done before actors commonly flew across Broadway stages above complex pyrotechnics and elaborate costumes, truly invites the imagination to be an active participant rather an a passive observer left in the dark beneath the stage.
Adolescent humor infuses the performance with levity and laughs. Fart jokes, a chorus line of men dressed as mermaids and endless puns whip the audience into a hysterical joy shared by the youngest and oldest members alike.
The audience that evening was comprised of many parents with reluctant teenagers in tow, some children as young as five years old, and several of the Zeiterion Theater’s regular attendees. While it may have taken time to gain momentum, by the end of the night the entire theater was on its feet for three rounds of applause.
This re-imagining of the origins of Peter Pan is truly inventive in its approach as well as its execution. The humor is spot on, the plot enticing, and its characters perhaps even more memorable than before. The evening transported guests to another time and place, where the Zeiterion Theater transcended our own historic Union Street and truly became a fixture in each of our own versions of neverland, where we suspend disbelief and live in a present without constraints of our own realities.
Adults left with a sense of understanding of a long-treasured story, and children with a sparked curiosity for what happens to The Boy next, begging to dust off the packed away VHS copy of Disney’s Peter Pan their older siblings left behind. A sleepy little girl mutters, “this was the best bed-time story ever” as her father carries her out of the theater in his arms.
Performances like this are few and far between, and not to be missed. Check out the upcoming schedule of other magical performances coming to the Zeiterion Theater at www.zeiterion.org
While the S.S. Neverland has embarked upon the rest of its national tour, for more of Peter and the Starcatcher visit www.peterandthestarcatcher.com and keep an eye out for developing news of Disney’s upcoming film adaptation of the Broadway musical play to be directed by Gary Ross of The Hunger Games films.
