Operation Clean Sweep, a New Bedford based anti-litter organization, will hold a neighborhood cleanup on Saturday, June 16, 2012 in Ward 6 from 8:30 am until Noon. The Ward 6 cleanup will be held in conjunction with the Cove Street Neighborhood Family Fun Day. Headquarters will be located at the Loretta Bourque Park on Ruth Street between Salisbury and Ashley Streets. The cleanup will be sponsored by Me & Ed’s Family Restaurant.

Students, individuals, families and community service groups are encouraged to volunteer with Operation Clean Sweep to earn community service hours, demonstrate support for the neighborhood, and pride in the community.

Me & Ed’s Family Restaurant will provide breakfast for volunteers in the morning and lunch will be provided by Domino’s Pizza, “The Official Pizza” of Operation Clean Sweep.

Volunteers are encouraged to pre-register by visiting www.operationcleansweep.net or call (508) 979-1493.

Pre-registration is not required but it is preferred so that organizers are better able to plan for the needs of the day. Volunteers are asked to wear closed toe shoes and clothing appropriate for the weather. Tools and gloves provided. Walk-ups are always welcome and all volunteer names will be entered into a drawing for a covered trash barrel!

Anyone interested in hosting a cleanup is encouraged to call (508) 979-1493 for more information.

We at New Bedford Guide love AHA! No … really, we love AHA! and even wrote an article about how much we love AHA! If you are new to the AHA! experience we recommend you read that article to get up to speed.

This month’s AHA! is Thursday, June 14th with the “Walking Tours” theme (full schedule here.) There are eight walking tours scheduled, at least nine art galleries displaying art, lots of live music and tons of other programming that kicks off at 5 p.m. We recommend ALL of June’s AHA! programming, but realize visitors can’t always experience every AHA! event. As a seasoned AHA! veteran, I feel that I have enough experience to recommend the gems and help you maximize your experience. Here are my top seven June AHA! events.

1. 19th Century Neighborhood Architectural Walking Tour (6 p.m.)

Did I mention that this month’s AHA! theme is Walking Tours? Unless you have a time machine, there is no better way to experience the history of New Bedford than this 19th Century Walking Tour. The tour kicks off from the Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum (396 County Street) at 6 p.m. sharp and will be led by Bruce Barnes of the Preservation Society. Visitors are welcome to stop by the at 5 p.m. to check out the inside of the museum and the gardens in full bloom.

2. Underground Rail Road Walking Tour (6 p.m.)

The Underground Railroad is an important part of New Bedford’s history. Check out my article on the “Most Notable New Bedford African Americans” to learn more about some of the most famous African Americans to come out of our city. The tour will be led by the New Bedford Historical Society and steps off from Custom House Square (Fountain Side, across the street from Freestone’s) at 6 p.m.

3. A Lantern Tour with the 1850s ladies (7 p.m.)

After soaking up some history with Bruce Barnes or learning about the Underground railroad, hustle over to the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor’s Center (33 William Street) where Ruth and Abby will “dish the dirt” on their lives and times.

4. 100 Hiking Trails (5-9 p.m.)

Looking to add some hiking to your summer activities? The Buzzards Bay Coalition has information on over 100 hiking trails throughout the region. Visit their center (114 Front Street) to view our new interactive web map of trails and get information from conservation groups across the region.

5. Tarot Readings, Henna Tatts, Pottery and Paintings (5-8 p.m.)

MUSE Studio (516 Pleasant Street) is providing a wide assortment of entertainment to include Tarot Readings by Karen Allen, Henna Tats by Eric Grab, and Pottery and paintings by several artists. You may want to stop here first and ask Karen Allen if you are in for a good night and where to go next!

6. Q@X IV: Do Ask, Do Tell (5-9 p.m.)

Gallery X is hosting their 4th, “Do Ask, Do Tell” gallery to support lesbian and gay service members. From their website: “With the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy allowing lesbian and gay service members to serve openly in the military and same-sex marriage continuing to be hot political topics nation-wide, now more than ever, it’s important to make the visions, experiences and opinions of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning artists & their straight allies known in the community.”

7. Neal McCarthy Problem Live at the Pour Farm Tavern (9 p.m.)

Neal Mccarthy is one of my favorite musicians and is one of the best blues guitarists in the world. The Neal Mccarthy Problem brings together some of the best musicians the south coast has to offer. Swing by The Pour Farm Tavern (780 Purchase Street) for an amazing selection of craft beers and the best music in town!

Get a head start on your summer fun with a visit to New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park this Saturday, June 9. In celebration of National Get Outdoors Day, all 397 national parks will waive entrance fees.

“Outdoor physical activity is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is a great place to get out and enjoy a free guided tour at our park,” said New Bedford Whaling NHP Park Superintendent Jen Nersesian.

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park will offer a free guided walking tour at 10:30 am. From 11:00 am until noon there will be games on the lawn with Abby, one of the 1850s ladies. From 9 am- 5 pm, the exhibits about the city’s fishing industry will be on display at the Wharfinger Building (the old fish auction house) on Fisherman’s Wharf. In addition, the park will have its Burn While You Learn maps available, which provide information about calories burned while walking to various locations within the historic district. Movie, tours, maps, and visits to the visitor center and Wharfinger Building are all free of charge. Both the visitor center and Wharfinger Building are open and free of charge from 9 am- 5 pm.

National Get Outdoors Day, now in its fifth year, encourages Americans, especially youth, to participate in outdoor activities while enjoying the beauty of public lands such as national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges. Nationwide, hundreds of organizations and businesses will partner with Federal, state, and local agencies to provide fun and healthy events at sites throughout the country.

President Barack Obama has proclaimed the month of June as Great Outdoors Month and encourages all Americans to share in the natural splendor of which we are all proud inheritors. Governor Deval Patrick has also proclaimed June as Great Outdoors Month.

The National Park Service will have four more entrance fee free days in 2012 – September 29 (National Public Lands Day) and November 10 to 12 (Veterans Day weekend).

If you are planning a trip that includes multiple national parks, you might consider the $80 annual pass that provides entrance to all national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests, and many other Federal lands – more than 2,000 in all. This America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass is offered free to all active duty military members and their dependents. Information on these and other pass options is available online.

The Dock-U-Mentaries Film Series continues Friday, June 15th at 7 PM with Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of an American Fishing Town a feature-length documentary that explores the lives of small-scale commercial fishermen living in Snead’s Ferry, North Carolina. Film makers Matt and Cornelia Barr will lead a post film discussion. Dock-U-Mentaries is a co-production of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and the Working Waterfront Festival. Films about the working waterfront are screened on the third Friday of each month beginning at 7:00 PM 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.

For over 300 years the fishermen have made a precarious living catching shrimp, clams and fin-fish; now, the forces of globalization, imports, rising fuel prices and explosive coastal growth are threatening this hard-fought and deeply ingrained way of life. They don’t do it for the money—they fish because they have to, because they love the freedom. They are some of the last true independent spirits left in America, and their struggles to keep afloat in Snead’s Ferry is symbolic of what is going on around the country, and around the planet.

The Working Waterfront Festival is a project of the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern MA, a non-profit organization. The free festival, a family friendly, educational celebration of New England’s commercial fishing industry, features live maritime and ethnic music, fishermen’s contests, fresh seafood, vessel tours, author readings, cooking demonstrations, kid’s activities and more. It all takes place on working piers and waterfront parks in New Bedford, MA, America’s #1 fishing port, on the last full weekend in September, this year on September 29 and 30. www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org.

Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of an American Fishing Town Trailer

Please join us for our 3rd Annual Gentlemen’s Round Table Breakfast on June 7th. We will start promptly at 8:15am and conclude at 9:30am. The Gentlemen’s Round Table Breakfast will take place in the Roosevelt Middle School cafeteria. Please register online.

Our breakfast is designed to introduce 7th grade male students to the idea of fostering relationships with men in the world of work, and the notion of beginning to plan for a future career. We are always in need of professional men who would be willing to come and sit with our students over lunch on Fridays. The purpose of the breakfast is for men to relate their own personal narratives regarding their current professions. Dr. Stephen Russell, former Superintendent of Dartmouth Public Schools and current Superintendent of Salem Public Schools will speak and introduce keynote speaker Diarny Fernandes a senior at Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical High School, who will be entering the School of Engineering at Umass Dartmouth

Roosevelt Middle School
119 Fredrick Street
New Bedford, MA 02744

About Gentlemen’s Round Table
All Gentlemen have taken the following pledge: “As a member of the Gentlemen’s Round Table I freely accept and take a pledge of Non-Violence for our school. This means that I will be responsible for not getting involved in fights, arguments or any type of action that might provoke a negative response from another individual (s). I will with respect toward others try to resolve the problem without taking sides and I will try my best to resolve arguments as not to impose a negative attitude on my daily encounters with others. I will treat everyone I encounter with respect and dignity regardless of race, gender, religion or sexual orientation. I will not participate in name-calling or bullying. I will seek the help of fellow members to assist me in fulfilling my pledge. This is my pledge as a Gentleman.”

Mission: Our goal is to connect young men (middle school students) to be prepared for further education, build personal character, train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, develop personal fitness, make healthy choices and be inspired to lead lives of humility, with a dedication to serving others.

Vision: The Gentlemen’s Round Table creates a community of people who support young men in their quest to stand together and serve others while developing their own interpersonal and leadership skills.

Visit the Gentlemen’s Round Table website for more details on the program.

New Bedford was once called the city that “lit up the world”.  As a whaling port, New Bedford was one of the most important harbors in the world as a leading industry for refined whale oil and candles which were manufactured from these marine mammals. Whale oil and candles produced in New Bedford brought light to countries across the globe during the 19th century, making New Bedford one of the richest cities in the world.

Whaling is a thing of the past, but the waterfront still remains an essential fixture of our economy because of the fact that America’s oldest industry still operates in our harbor; the fishing industry.  September 29th and 30th, 2012 will mark the 9th annual Working Waterfront Festival which celebrates commercial fishing.  New Bedford is America’s largest commercial fishing port and the annual festival has attracted attention from people across the country, especially after having been named a “Top 20 Travel Event” by the National Geographic’s Traveler magazine in 2011.

The Working Waterfront Festival celebrates the men and women who bring in seafood catches from the North Atlantic right to the market, and it celebrates this long lasting industry as a whole through a great variety of activities and events.  Some of these scheduled events are expected for a festival, such as nautical themed musical performances and cooking demonstrations featuring… you guessed it, seafood specialties.

While food and music may be rather traditional to any festival, there are many aspects of the Working Waterfront Festival that make it stand out.  Activities such as fish net mending competitions and survival suit races allow for up close and personal interactions with the fishing industry.  Additionally, there are many on the water activities that are both exciting and educational, such as tug boat demonstrations and harbor tours.

The Working Waterfront Festival is great for families as it teaches people of all ages about the many aspects of an industry that has helped to feed Americans for hundreds of years.  There is also an ongoing Kid’s Area that will be set up with nautical crafts.  In addition to being educational for kids, Working Waterfront offers many learning opportunities for people of all ages with numerous authors will be making appearances to share various books about the sea and fishing.  Both Saturday and Sunday will also feature a “Docku-u-mentaries” film tent.

The festival kicks off on Saturday September 29th at 11 AM and ends the day at 6 PM.  Festivities will resume on Sunday at 11 AM to 5 PM.  The Working Waterfront Festival takes place at Fisherman’s Wharf Pier 3, the Steamship Pier.  For a full list of both days’ activities and scheduling, go to http://www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org/schedule/

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Scallop shucking contest.

Net mending contest.

Great learning experience for the kids!

The Working Waterfront Festival New Bedford.

Live entertainment.

Live entertainment.

The Ethnic Arts Area showcases traditional crafts.

The Ethnic Arts Area showcases traditional crafts.

The Ethnic Arts Area showcases traditional crafts.

The Working Waterfront Festival New Bedford.

The Working Waterfront Festival was featured on Traveler Magazine.

Net mending contest.

Whaling City Cross Fit, or WCCF is the first full-time CrossFit training facility in New Bedford and the SouthCoast. They CrossFit training for all fitness levels and ages.  No matter what your current fitness level or previous fitness experience, whether Grandma or student, athlete or couch potato, WCCF is endeavoring to raise your fitness.

Husband and Wife team, Erik and Tess Hedblom, opened Whaling City CrossFit in April 2012.  “Erik had been wanting to get into the fitness business for a long time,” recalls Tess, “and when we discovered CrossFit, he knew he had found what he’d been searching for.”  Not long after beginning the CrossFit program himself, Erik became a Level 1 Trainer and Tess his first student.  Now, as a trainer team, they are very passionate about helping others change their lives with CrossFit.

What is this CrossFit program that seems to be spreading across the globe?  According to CrossFit HQ’s website (crossfit.com), the CrossFit program “delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.

The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs.

The needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree not kind. Our terrorist hunters, skiers, mountain bike riders and housewives have found their best fitness from the same regimen.”

Currently, there are over 3,500 CrossFit affiliates operating “small box” gyms worldwide, with new ones popping up every day.  “CrossFit ‘boxes’ are completely different from traditional gyms,” Erik says.  “There are no machines where you can leisurely read the tabloids while getting your workout in.  In CrossFit, we teach functional movements; movements that, done correctly, can improve your ability to do anything, from getting out of a chair to climbing Mt. Everest.”  Types of exercises found in CrossFit includes running, rowing, biking, gymnastics, weightlifting, and kettlebells.

This year is the 44th Annual Whaling City Festival, an event with fun filled family oriented activities, live music, Finelli Amusements, professional wrestling, car and bike show, great food and more. The organization’s new president Allen Richard, is looking to take the festival into a new direction, adding new events, improving all facets, including the relationship with the city and community.

Approximately 125,000 people will pass through the event during the weekend of July 13-15. This is a fantastic opportunity for local businesses to get coverage and publicity. The organization is always looking to expand its group of sponsors, which currently include FUN 107, Fall River Ford, Channel 6, Tremblay’s Bus Company, ABC Disposal, Cat Country, City of New Bedford, WBSM Radio, NSTAR, Crow City Motoring and others. In addition, Children’s Safety Awareness Day will take place on Friday, June 13 from 11 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The event will be in conjunction with the New Bedford Fire Department, the New Bedford Police Department, the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Providence Bruins. This is certainly an activity to be a proud sponsor of.

Volunteers are always needed, and the current group which comprises about thirty people from the ages of 12-90 will help with information, traffic, directions, setting up, breaking down, picking up trash, manning the gates, drink service, and more. It’s a ton of fun, and at the end of the festivities Mr. Richard treats all of the volunteers to a great meal and other perks.

An excellent way to partner with the Whaling City Festival is to participate in this year’s Chinese Auction. For a minimal investment, your business gets to be associated with a fun activity that thousands of festival-goers will be involved in. By offering a few items for the auction, a business will also be associated with the local charities that will benefit from the sale of the raffle tickets. It’s a win-win situation for everyone!

In an attempt to help promote the festival, presidency, recruit vendors, sponsors, and volunteers Richard runs a website and an accompanying Facebook Page. The website will be updated in the coming weeks with the schedule, itinerary, and info.

If you are a potential vendor, or sponsor and interested in participating in this year’s Whaling City Festival, you can apply here: http://www.whalingcityfestival.net/applications.html

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, musical act looking to participate in this year’s festival, or for more information you can contact Allen Richard at: ARichard@WhalingCityFestival.net

Over seventy musicians, more than ninety arts and crafts vendors and dozens of food options.  This description may make you think of a West Coast music extravaganza, or the Newport Folk festival, or perhaps something in a trendy NYC neighborhood.  But you may be pleasantly surprised to hear that you won’t have to drive out of Greater New Bedford to participate in this Summerfest.  Perhaps you are a regular at the Greater New Bedford Summerfest, or this is your first time hearing of it.  Regardless, this is hardly New Bedford’s first year hosting this family friendly and culturally charged three-day festival; July 6-8, 2012 will mark the 17th year of celebrating international folk music and arts at Summerfest.

Summerfest 2012 will kick off on Friday July 6th with a concert featuring Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary), Annalivia, and Women in Docs.  For those of you who aren’t folk music aficionados, you may recall Peter, Paul and Mary as major features of the 1960s folk music scene, having recorded the 1969 number one hit, “Leaving on a Jet Plane”.  They were also the performers who recorded the very memorable and often misinterpreted “Puff the Magic Dragon”.  This opening night performance is sure to be a great way to kick off the weekend with, by bringing traditional, contemporary and celtic folk music onto one stage.  Annalivia is bound to bring excitement to the stage with their acoustic Celtic inspired music stylings and the Australian folk-pop band Women in Docs will mix things up with a sound that is reminiscent of the Indigo Girls.  As with all performances throughout the weekend, this first night concert is being held at the New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park at 6:30.  Tickets are $15 for Friday’s concert and can be purchased at http://www.newbedfordsummerfest.com/friday.html.

On Saturday and Sunday the festivities will commence at 11 AM and continue until 9 PM with a full day of music on multiple stages as well as arts, crafts and food vendors.  One thing that makes the Greater New Bedford Summerfest exceptional are what they call “workshops”.  While this may call to mind the image of a dry lecture or seminar, that is not the case at all.  These workshops are essentially jam sessions where musicians with different styles come together on stage to perform something truly unique to the moment.  For music lovers, this type of creative expression is a rare treat, and something that makes Summerfest stand out amongst many other summer music festivals.

In addition to the versatile quality of the music provided by Summerfest, this event also offers an explosion of creativity when it comes to visual arts and crafts.  Artists and craftsmen of all types can be found lining the streets of the New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park selling everything from handmade jewelry to musical instruments to toys… and much, much more.  The arts and crafts found at Summerfest are made by both locals and artists ranging from coast to coast.  Based on the sheer number of vendors and the wide variety of products you are sure to find something you love at the Artisan’s Market or the International Bazaar.

No festival is complete without food and drink, and Summerfest is no exception.  2012 drink vendors include a Beer and Wine Garden for adults, and for food you will find Captain Clamcakes on hand for some seafood snacks as well as an ice cream truck for a cool treat.  Of course, since you will be downtown New Bedford, there is hardly a shortage of amazing restaurants to sit down in for a meal or to grab some takeout from.  Summerfest is a one of a kind opportunity to bring your family out to indulge in a day of quality music, arts and crafts and a delicious dinner.  The Summerfest website offers some recommendations if you should decide to eat at a downtown restaurant (http://www.newbedfordsummerfest.com/food.html), and of course, New Bedford Guide has some wonderful local restaurant reviews to help you make your decision!

As mentioned previously, tickets to Friday night’s concert are $15.  Tickets for Saturday are $20 and Sunday is also $20 for admission.  However, if you’re hoping to make a weekend out of it you can buy the weekend pass for $30.  Children under twelve are free, which is yet another reason why Summerfest is great for families. Nevertheless, young or old you will find that Summerfest is a unique and memorable way to spend Independence Day weekend!

Several events are planned in New Bedford throughout Memorial Day weekend to honor the courageous men and women who lost their lives serving the United States of America.

Saturday, May 26^th, 2012

9:00 am at Rural Cemetery

The Greater New Bedford Civil War Round Table will conduct a memorial exercise at the Union Soldier’s Burial Site at Rural Cemetery, 149 Dartmouth Street.

*American Legion Post 1 will be placing flags on veterans’ graves at Rural Cemetery.

Sunday, May 27^th, 2012

10:30am at Pine Grove Cemetery

New Bedford Post 1, The American Legion will conduct a Memorial Day Exercise at the Veterans’ plot in Pine Grove Cemetery.

12:00pm at New Bedford City Hall

New Bedford Post 1, The American Legion will conduct a Memorial Day Exercise at the Vietnam Veterans’ Honor Roll at New Bedford City Hall on the William Street side of the building.

Monday, May 28^th, 2012 (Memorial Day)

8:15am at Rural Cemetery

New Bedford Post 1, The American Legion will conduct a Memorial Day Exercise at the Veterans’ Plot in Rural Cemetery.

10:00am at St. Mary’s Cemetery

New Bedford Post 1, The American Legion will conduct a Memorial Day Exercise at the Veterans’ Plot in St. Mary’s Cemetery

10:00am at Pier 3

Annual Memorial Day Fisherman’s Service, Pier 3, New Bedford Waterfront

11:30am Intersection of Parker Street & Hathaway Boulevard

The Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Day Committee will conduct their Annual Memorial Day Parade and Services leaving from the intersection of Parker Street and Hathaway Boulevard. The Parade will form at11:00 am at the intersection of Parker Street and Hathaway Boulevard and will step off at 11:30 am. The Parade will travel East on Parker Street to County Street, North on County Street to Pope Street, and East on Pope Street into Clasky Park where a Memorial Day Ceremony will take place.

Immediately following the parade at Clasky Common Park

A Memorial Day Exercise will be conducted at the Korean War Monument in Clasky Common Park.

1:30pm at the Cape Verdean American Veterans Association, 561 Purchase Street

The Cape Verdean American Veterans Association will show a documentary film on the Tuskegee Airmen and will honor the late George Silva Lima, a Tuskegee Airman, Rhode Island State Representative, civil rights champion, and national hero.