Three funds of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts (CFSEMA) are once again teaming up to develop the Greater New Bedford work force by funding family literacy and adult education programs.

Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for up to $88,000 from the Polaroid Fund and up to $14,500 in matching funds from the Acushnet Foundation and Steere Funds are available from the Community Foundation or its website, cfsema.org. They are due at the Community Foundation office, 63 Union Street, New Bedford, no later than 4 p.m. March 21, 2014. An Applicants Conference for agencies interested in applying for a grant is scheduled for March 4 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Community Foundation’s Board Room.

“The purpose of the project is to support adult educational opportunity, as well as to promote literacy for families with young children,” said CFSEMA President Craig J. Dutra. “To help accomplish this, the grants will support programs that help the most vulnerable people in the community build the skills and literacy that will help them reach their educational and employment goals.”

In 2006, the Community Foundation began managing the New Bedford Area grant program of the Polaroid Fund, a discretionary fund of the Boston Foundation. The Polaroid Fund will distribute up to $100,000 each year to support organizations or collaboratives that promote career advancement and economic security for Greater New Bedford residents, with an emphasis on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Adult Education (ABE and GED courses.)

This year, a total of $76,000 from the Polaroid Fund will support workforce development programming, with an emphasis on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Adult Basic Education (ABE) and General Education Development (GED) classes. Another $26,500 – $12,000 each from the Polaroid Fund and the Acushnet Foundation Fund and $2,500 from the Steere Fund – will support family literacy programs that integrate early literacy programming for children birth to three years old with ABE/ESOL and parenting courses.

-Organizations can request up to $15,000 for the nine-month period from April 1 to Dec. 31, 2014, for projects that:

• Mitigate barriers to learning such as cultural and language differences,transportation and childcare issues, and fragmentation of available services.
• Advocate for public policy changes that increase provider capacity, create employer incentives to offer workplace literacy programs, and increases state and local funding.
• Advocate for greater private and employer investment in worker education.
• Support programs integrating early literacy programming for children birth to three years old with ABE/ESOL and parenting courses.
• Protect the cultural context and bonds of a community by preserving and supporting neighborhood based programs providing access to literacy and ABE/ESOL classes.
• Address gaps in programming and provider services. Encourage programming for all stages of adult learning, from adult basic education to preparation for successful enrollment in post-secondary education and training.
• Support capacity building of programs that meet one or more of the objectives listed above.

Early Literacy Program applications can also request up to $15,000.

The Greater New Bedford region faces numerous workforce challenges, including high unemployment, an average income significantly lower than the state average, a substantial percentage of residents who do not speak English as their primary language, and low education levels.

Since early 2008, unemployment in New Bedford has climbed steadily, with the December 2013 unemployment rate of 12.7% still being one of the highest of any area in the State of Massachusetts and nearly double the state average of 6.7%. More than a third of New Bedford area residents speak a language other than English at home, compared to the state average of about a fifth.

According to the UMass Center for Policy Analysis, “Much of the SouthCoast’s labor force consists of low skilled workers with low levels of education. This is especially true in Fall River and New Bedford, although many of the region’s suburban towns also have average educational attainment levels that are below the state averages.”

In order to achieve viable workforce development and work readiness in this region, a range of programming and supports are needed for New Bedford’s population. Non-English speakers need to become proficient enough in English to achieve their educational goals and perform well in the workplace. Adults without high school diplomas need ready access to pre-GED and GED classes. GED recipients need help bridging the gap between learning on the high school level and participating successfully in post-secondary education environments. Immigrants need access to citizenship classes and information about worker’s rights. Service providers need support to increase their effectiveness and capacity. Employers need incentives and information that enables them to fully participate in worker education programming. And community organizing efforts need support to secure increased local, state and federal funding commitments.

Three Community Foundation Funds – Polaroid, Acushnet Foundation, and the Steere Fund – are once again teaming up to offer $102,500 in funding for workforce development and family literacy programs in Greater New Bedford. Attached is a press release; we hope you will run it as often as possible before the March 21 deadline.

The Ocean Explorium announces the fifth annual program aimed at promoting the “STEM” fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to girls and young women. Beginning in early March, the Girls Interested in Real Life Science (GIRLS) after-school program will run for ten weeks, giving the Leading Señoritas of Roosevelt Middle School/Northstar Learning Centers an immersive, intensive learning experience. The GIRLS program is made possible through the generosity of the Women’s Philanthropy Initiative – a special program of the Women’s Fund of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts.

New this year, a single speaker will share her experiences, from studying science to finding a career. On Wednesday, March 12, Heather Marshall, a University of Massachusetts School for Marine Science and Technology Graduate Student, will talk about her recently completed voyage with the research vessel OCEARCH to the Galapagos Islands. A marine biologist specializing in the study of sharks, Ms. Marshall is also co-founder and resident scientist for the Gills Club, a group that works to connect girls with female marine biologists in the field.

According to Ocean Explorium Executive Director Abbey Spargo, “We are extremely pleased to be able to run the GIRLS after-school program for a longer period of time and incredibly grateful to the Women’s Fund for their support of the 2014 GIRLS Program. This additional focus makes the GIRLS after-school program a richer, more in-depth experience. While we are only offering one evening event for the public, we are certain that Heather Marshall’s talk on her shark research will be well-received. Through her work with OCEARCH, Ms. Marshall has been able to work with sharks and other large marine fish in ways that most scientists cannot access. This is particularly impressive since Ms. Marshall is still a graduate student and has many more years to conduct cutting-edge shark research. We look forward to sharing her experiences and passion with the young people in our community.”

The presentation by Ms. Marshall is free and open to the public. Learners of all ages are encouraged to attend, especially middle and high school students and their families. Doors will open at 6:00 PM on March 12, with a special OCEARCH Science on a Sphere® program at 6:15PM. The talk will begin at 6:30 PM.

The Science on a Sphere® is generously provided by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

At the February meeting of the New Bedford School Committee, Superintendent Dr. Pia Durkin provided an update regarding the work of the New Bedford High School Redesign Team and announced two meetings at which she will meet with parents to talk about the high school turnaround plan.

As a follow-up to recent meetings with students, the Superintendent will hold two parent meetings at the New Bedford High School Family Engagement Center at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 27, 2014 and at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, March 3, 2014.

Superintendent Durkin strongly encouraged parents of NBHS students to attend one of the upcoming meetings, “I very much would like to meet with you to talk to you about the future of New Bedford High School,” said Superintendent Durkin.

In additional remarks, the Superintendent added, “Our success depends on everyone at every level working together toward common goals. That means we need parents to be partners alongside teachers, administrators, and indeed, students themselves.”

Translators will be on hand to assist with the Spanish, Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole languages.

The Superintendent also praised the work of the New Bedford High School Redesign Team, a team of sixteen high school teachers who have volunteered to help spearhead the redesign of New Bedford High School. The Redesign Team is tackling a number of specific action items including:

• Reviewing the graduation requirements and making recommendations to ensure NBHS students have the same requirements as other students and better positioning them to attain post secondary opportunities.
• Researching potential career pathways and building clear articulation agreements with institutions of higher learning including Bristol Community College and others that enable students to receive college credit for certain high school coursework.
• Developing a student interest survey which will be distributed to NBHS students to solicit their feedback and help determine which courses are of great interest as well as those they would like an opportunity to enroll in.
• Reviewing the school’s existing program of studies and examining its scope and sequence to ensure it is both rigorous and that students are taking courses in the correct order leading up to their graduation.
• Discussing the new Advisory Program in which each student will be assigned a staff member along with a small cohort of fellow students for their four-year high school journey. They will focus on supports that will keep them on track academically and share advice on making the best choices that will enhance the culture of the school and sustain a safe, productive learning environment for all who attend and work at NBHS.
• Reviewing the scope of the potential two-week summer academy for rising 8th graders that will prepare them for a successful freshman year. The academy would focus on mathematics, writing, and the necessary skills to help navigate the early months of high school and beyond. The academy would culminate with a student work showcase and a local trip experience to celebrate this new phase of the student’s educational career.

Here is a letter from a New Bedford High School teacher to Mayor Jon Mitchell in response to his letter ‘Were I Permitted to Speak.” 

Mr. Mayor,

I’m confused. Your words and your actions are not matching up. You make statements that contradict what is being told to us.

You see I have attended all the meetings regarding this subject, required meetings, volunteer meetings, school committee meetings, etc. each and every time it has been the teachers that have been told that we must be replaced, that we aren’t what the city needs to move forward. We are being kept in limbo.

We are being required to write a letter of intent to stay. We soon will be instructed as to how to reapply for our jobs. It’s my job! I have held it for some time. I have never had a bad evaluation. I do what is required of me and more. I have professional status and I’m tired of being treated in such a non-professional manner by the leadership of New Bedford Public Schools.

Sir, this means you! You are allowing your teachers to live this every day. You cannot respect me. Your actions say this! I choose to teach the children of my city. I give to my city everyday. I try to do what is required of me yet the rigor I attempt to provide falls on deaf ears. I am not respected by the students I try so hard to serve. They do not try to improve. They tell us, “you’ve been fired. I don’t need to do this”, and more.

You sir have approved the cuts that have been made to my school. 52 teachers are no longer with us – 52! Where did the number 30 come from? I could go on.

Retirement choices are being made by frightened people that are afraid of loosing everything. This is not the system I started with. Yes I am angry, at you, at EVERY member of the school committee, at member of this community that have no clue as to what it means to teach, as people with an axe to grind….. I demand that this terrorism stop. I will do that at a ballot box. I will not support anyone that doesn’t support teachers. I do not need to be told that by my union or anyone. I am very capable of thinking independently.

I am not a lemming! As long as I have breath left I will continue to fight for my kids and my school. I AM NEW BEDFORD HIGH SCHOOL!

There has been some confusion about the length of the school day at the Hayden-McFadden and Parker Schools that the New Bedford Educators Association (NBEA) would like to address.

Those are both Level 4 schools, meaning they function under some different rules than most district schools. They also receive additional resources to help students meet performance goals.

At both schools, the contract has been modified so that teachers work a longer day for additional pay. The contract spells out how that extra time is used, leading with classroom instruction and including individual planning time, common planning time and professional development.

This year, the NBEA and the district agreed to restructure how the extra time is spent. While the district’s turnaround plan originally asked for two-and-a-half hours of additional instruction time for students, we actually agreed to more – three hours.

Imagine our surprise, then, when we learned through the press that Superintendent Pia Durkin had informed Hayden-McFadden and Parker School parents that their children will receive three-and-a-half hours of additional instruction, with the last half-hour taken out of teacher planning time. That meant no individual planning time on Fridays, even though teachers at Hayden-McFadden were specifically told they would have individual planning time every day.

What’s more, the extra half hour is set for Friday afternoons, with students to be dismissed at 2:30 pm on those days. That is precisely the time the teacher work day is supposed to end as per the contract. The schedule doesn’t even leave five seconds for teachers to safely dismiss their classes and make sure students board their buses for home.

Let me be clear. Teachers routinely work many hours beyond the contractual work day to grade papers, plan lessons and communicate with parents and students. Some teachers come in by 6:30 in the morning, while others don’t leave until 6 at night. All teachers take work home in the evenings and on the weekends. But at least they have some control over when and where they do that additional work.

With the new schedule the district has created, teachers at the two Level 4 schools – who already work a substantially longer school day – are being forced to “volunteer” extra time after school on Fridays to make sure their students leave the premises safely.

The district’s grant application for funds to help pay for the redesign plan states that the NBEA is on board with the changes, though in fact we had not been consulted about this new schedule and have not yet reached an agreement about the changes in bargaining.

We called a meeting with teachers from both schools on August 19 and had a strong showing. They were unanimous in asking the NBEA to let the district and community know that they are caring professionals who are working hard to help their students succeed. But they have a simple request for the school administration.

Honor our agreements.

• Bargain with us in good faith at the table, not in the press.
• Don’t make promises to parents that affect teacher working conditions until you have reached an agreement with the teachers.
• Show us the same flexibility and consideration that we have shown the district in implementing changes at our Level 4 schools.

Lou St. John
President, New Bedford Educators Association

As a mom, I am always looking for great ways to entertain and enlighten my son without bankrupting myself, and recently, I found one such way after spending an afternoon at The Buttonwood Park Zoo. Since my son and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit, I decided that membership to the BPZ would be a fantastic investment in family fun! One which would guarantee to offer a different adventure every time we visited! You and your family just might feel the same.

Not only will your kids enjoy unlimited trips to the zoo, but your wallet will, as well! Think about it, for a family of four, say two adults and two children, the price tag of a single days admission to the BPZ is about $18 (food, rides, souvenirs, etc.). For a typical family that goes to the zoo four times, that’s $72 a year, base. If you are not a New Bedford resident you’re looking at about $24 a day, equating to somewhere around $96 per year! However, if you become a Buttonwood Park Zoological Society member, like us, your family is charged a flat rate of $55, saving New Bedford residents around $17 a year, and non-New Bedford residents about $41! And as a bonus, your membership money goes right back into funding the zoo and its programs!

Basic monetary savings aside, as a member of the BPZ, your family will be treated to free, year round animal access, discounted rates on zoo birthday parties, and invitations to members-only events! Additional perks include:

• 10% Discount at North Woods gift store
• Special online notices of Zoo programs and events
• Reciprocal Benefits at more than 140 Zoos and Aquariums across the United States

That’s right, kids! Flash your membership card at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston or the Stone Zoo in Stoneham and get 50% off your admission! And if you’ve been thinking about taking a trip to The Museum of Science, go for it! Because as a member of the BPZ, your family will get free admission there, too! And who doesn’t love free science?!

So, to recap, not only does your membership allow you to experience a full year of fun, adventure, and great discounts (locally and otherwise), but your membership dollars also help to support the Zoo’s conservation and education programs! It’s win/win for everyone!

What are you waiting for? Head on over to the BPZ today, and snag the membership that best fits you!

• Family: Includes up to two adults named on membership card and their children under the age of 18 – $55.00.
• Grandparents: Includes up to two adults named on card and their grandchildren under the age of 18 – $55.00.
• Individual: One adult named on membership card – $45.00.
• Student: One student named on membership card (requires copy of valid student I.D.) – $40.00.
• Senior: One adult age 62 or older named on membership card – $40.00.

Plus you may add guests to any category for an additional $10 per guest.

**Please note that the guest must be accompanied by an adult named on the card.

The Zoo accepts MasterCard and Visa at the front gate for ticket purchases and MasterCard, Visa and Discover at the Café and Gift Shop.

Summer Hours: March – September: 9:00am – 5:00pm, daily (with the last admission at 4:15pm)

For more information and updates on the zoo, be sure to check out their website and give their Facebook a ‘like,’ and stay in the loop!

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Eleven teachers from SouthCoast middle and high schools have been selected from hundreds of nationwide applicants to attend “Sailing to Freedom: New Bedford and the Underground Railroad,” a workshop series funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). They will learn about New Bedford’s critical but often-overlooked role in the Underground Railroad from nationally recognized experts at important historical sites throughout the region.

Jo-Anne Charette (Fairhaven High School), Christopher Donnelly (Normandin Middle School), Kellie Freitas (Keith Middle School), Frank Garcia (Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical High School), Nicholas Palumbo (New Bedford High School), Toni Teixeira (Keith Middle School), Amy DuBois (Dartmouth High School), Colin Everett (Old Rochester Regional High School), Dominique Branco (Roosevelt Middle School), John Oldham (Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School), and Derek Michael (Global Learning Charter Public School) will participate in “Sailing to Freedom” along with teachers from across the nation. The eighty teachers selected to participate in the program each receive a $1,200 stipend to help cover their travel, study, and living expenses.

The program is spearheaded by Director Dr. Timothy Walker, Associate Professor of History at UMass Dartmouth, and Project Administrator Lee Blake, Director of the UMass Dartmouth Campus Compact and President of the New Bedford Historical Society.

Walker notes that “New Bedford has an exceptionally rich history that provides a ready-made laboratory for studying key American social, political, and economic issues prior to the Civil War. Many traces of this seaport’s bygone anti-slavery activities remain. New Bedford has unparalleled museum resources and extraordinary archival collections to aid investigation into the Abolition Movement and the Underground Railroad. It’s the perfect place for this NEH program.”

Blake echoes this sentiment, adding “We could not be more excited to once again have the chance to show educators the crucial role New Bedford played in the history of the Underground Railroad. We are proud to be able to highlight the courage and commitment of the city’s abolitionist movement for teachers from across the nation.”

The workshops will bring together scholars of the Underground Railroad, the antebellum Abolitionist Movement, and the role of African Americans in maritime trade. Participants will view historical documents and items alongside program faculty at locations including the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, the New Bedford Public Library, the Nathan and Mary Johnson House, the Rotch Jones Duff House Museum, the Boston Black Heritage Trail, and the Museum of African American History.

The “Sailing to Freedom” series of workshops will be offered twice this summer: on July 14 – 19 and July 21 – 26. “Sailing to Freedom” is one of several such learning opportunities supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency that funds Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops during the summer so that teachers across the country can study with experts in humanities disciplines. Other workshop topics this summer include “But for Birmingham…The Rise of the Magic City and the Evolution of the Civil Rights Movement,” “Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School in the Midwest,” “Gullah Voices: Traditions and Transformations,” and “The Transcontinental Railroad: Transforming California and the Nation,” among many others. The approximately 1,600 teachers who participate in these studies will teach over 200,000 American students the following year.

Celebrate ‘Earth Week’ at the Ocean Explorium during April school vacation, with themed programs and activities each day, leading up to Earth Day on April 22.

Science experiments, hands-on learning activities, arts and crafts, and special Science on a Sphere® presentations will all highlight our planet and demonstrate such earthly phenomena as currents and climate, the moving earth, and more.

A week-long ‘Exploration Camp’ is also planned, for students 6 to 12 years of age, from 9 until noon each day. Each morning, campers will engage with the living exhibits before the Ocean Explorium opens for the day. They will also create science projects, art works and, on Wednesday, take a two-hour excursion to explore New Bedford’s inner and outer harbor, above and below the surface.

Earth Day celebrations begin early this year, with the Earth Eve Parade on AHA! Night, Thursday, April 11. This annual event in downtown New Bedford will include an Ocean Explorium float created by UMass Dartmouth students, featuring Science on a Sphere®.

The Ocean Explorium will be open every day during vacation week, from Monday, April 15, through Friday, April 19, 10 am to 4 pm. Daily activities include fish feedings, Sphere presentations, guided tours, touch tanks, and great learning opportunities from our educators.

If you’re anything like me, you don’t let a lost pet continue on their way. I always stop and help the animal, since as a pet owner myself I would hope someone would do the same for my pet if they ever got lost.

Helping a stray animal can be quite a responsibility though, and with local Animal Control budgets being strained and their hours being restricted, you can’t always assume your only step is going to be to call them. So I’ve compiled a few important steps and information for the next time you come across a lost pet.

Step 1 – Look for an ID tag or collar with the pet’s information

If you’re lucky, the animal’s name, address and phone number should be on an ID tag or embroidered into their collar. If you’re even luckier, one phone call should be all it takes to arrange to get the lost pet back home. If the owner is not answering, and you feel it is safe to do so, you could try driving the animal to the address listed.

Step 2 – Call Animal Control

Unfortunately, the information on these tags is not always the most up-to-date. Sometimes there is no identification on their animal whatsoever! If this is the case and you are unable to reach the owner by phone or at the listed address, try calling your local Animal Control department to ask them to come retrieve the animal. They will keep the animal safe until the owner can claim their pet.

Calling Animal Control does NOT put the animal at risk for being put down. Your local Animal Control agents work to ensure the safety and happiness of their constituents, both human and furry (and slimy). In the case of New Bedford, for instance, our Animal Control department has contracted Forever Paws Animal Shelter to house and care for lost and abandoned pets. Any animal that is collected by our Animal Control agents are brought to this shelter where they will be well-cared for until claimed by their owner. Should the animal not be claimed as anyone’s missing pet, they will be put up for adoption.

The Animal Control department for New Bedford can be reached at (508) 991-6366.

Step 3 – Call Local Police Department Dispatch

If you are unsuccessful in reaching your local Animal Control department, you can try contacting your police dispatch line. They are sometimes able to radio an Animal Control agent, even during off-hours.

This is especially helpful if you are unable to personally care for the pet until you find its owner. I would also warn that anyone with pets should think twice about bringing an unfamiliar animal into their home, even if just until you locate the owner. You can never be sure about the temperament of a lost animal, nor their health history, and you do not want to risk your own pet’s or families’ safety if you can help it.

There have been occasions where I have kept lost dogs in my backyard until we found the owner, but I kept my own pets safely inside our home.

The Police Dispatch line for New Bedford can be reached by calling (508) 991-6350.

Step 4 – Check with Neighbors

Even if you are not familiar with a lost pet you come across, your neighbors might be.

If you follow the New Bedford Guide or the Daily Dog Blog’s Facebook page, you will have seen that my husband recently found two lost labs wandering the streets in Lakeville. After asking some residents of that area whether they recognized the dogs, he was able to determine where he believed the lost dogs came from. He placed a phone call to the residence and a few hours later the pups were home safe and sound.

Step 5 – Call Area Animal Control Agencies and Shelters

Chances are that if Fido is out running around and his owners are aware that he’s gone missing, they’ve called Animal Control agencies and shelters around them to report their pet missing. Calling these resources might amp up your chances for reuniting Fido with his owners.

Call and describe the animal you’ve found to the full extent and leave your name and phone number. If the owners call to report their pet missing, they’ll know how to contact you.

Step 6 – Utilize Social Media

If you’ve still not been successful in reuniting the lost pet with their owner, do not underestimate the power of social media! Between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and countless other platforms, you can spread the word, and photos, of the pet you’ve found.

One such agency focuses on this – Granite State Dog Recovery. Between their Facebook page and website, this organization aims to reunite lost dogs with their families by working in partnership with shelters, rescues and Animal Control agents. This community outreach effort covers all of New England and is run totally by volunteers and there is no charge for their service. By using their “Report a Found Dog” tool, you can assist Granite State State Recovery in creating custom “Found Dog” flyers that they will spread via their Facebook page. And with over 18,000 fans, there are a lot of eyes that will be seeing and sharing your information.

GraniteState Dog Recovery can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/granitestatedogrecovery.

And don’t forget to reach out to other area organizations! The New Bedford Guide’s Facebook page is another great place to post found pet information, as is the Daily Dog Blog’s. You’ll be amazed at how many people will view and share the information – quickly!

By following these tips, you should be able to ensure a happy ending for the lost pet you’ve saved. Please don’t ever look the other way when you see a wandering animal for fear that you just don’t have the time or energy to try and help them. Remember, if your pet were ever lost, you’d hope caring people would help reunite you too!

Do you know of any additional resources or have tips that you’d like to share for reuniting a lost animal with its owner? Share them in the comment section below!

Elizabeth Cincotta is one of the co-founders of the Daily Dog Blog. Follow their Facebook page for updates. Leave her a comment here or contact her at Beth@dailydogblog.org. 

The Portuguese have a long, prominent role in the development of western civilization, the New World, and progress of the nation. There is hardly a facet of the planet’s history that this tiny nation did not have some influence over. So, it should come as no surprise that the Portuguese also had a central role in the development of this region in general, and specifically New Bedford.

By the 15th century the Portuguese were known as some of the greatest seafarers, whalers, fishermen, navigators, cartographers, and shipbuilders, so it was simply a matter of time before they began to migrate to the whaling capital of the world. Here is a spot on earth where not only were there major opportunities available, but in an area where they specialized and excelled. They were so refined in this area that it is not uncommon to find children as young as 11 years of age on a whaling vessel. It’s almost as if it is written in their DNA!

As the 16th century opened its eyes, the Portuguese were already colonizing parts of South America and poking their noses around New Foundland and Labrador, even claiming it for the crown. What funded much of these explorations was proselytization, but as momentum was achieved they began to establish industries and trade. They began with cod as a commodity, but eventually established sugar cane plantations which in turn created a massive demand for labor for which the slave trade was established. Slavery and the treatment of natives while attempting to convert them were two of the darkest moments in humanity and Portugal’s history.

Today Brazil is home to 110 million people of Portuguese ancestry. Pretty impressive considering that Portugal itself only has 11.5 million people. America claims 1.5 million people of Portuguese ancestry, the largest communities centralized in Metro Boston (195,000+), Greater New York/New Jersey/Connecticut (130,000+) area and San Francisco (124,000+). Massachusetts is home to almost 300,000 people of Portuguese ancestry (beat only by California) with most communities in East Cambridge, Lowell, Taunton, Fall River, Dartmouth and of course New Bedford. The majority of the population in the New Bedford area were Azorean and when the whaling industry died, the next waves of immigrants sought construction and unskilled labor.

In that latter part of the 19th century and the when the 20th century was just getting its legs under it, there was a wave of Portuguese to New Bedford and it is here that brings us to the point of this particular article. The whaling industry begun to peter out and sputter to a conclusion leaving many of Portuguese descent searching for a means to support their families and put food on the table. Having the aforementioned predilection for the sea, DNA “profile” and having a long storied history of navigation, ship building, and sailing it was a no-brainer that the population gravitated to the waterfront. The poorest began to build shanties, or crudely built shacks at the edge of the waterfront, particularly at the foot of Potomska Street. A modest shantytown developed and was dubbed the “Portuguese Navy Yard.”

Not only did being at the edge of the water remind them of home, history and past glory, but this is where all the industry was. If labor was needed they were ready. If ship repairs, building or containment was needed they were available. They could also fish, quahog, and trap lobster and crab; anyway to generate revenue. They could jump at the smallest of jobs and make enough to feed their families and that has always been a priority of theirs.

Unfortunately the Hurricane of ’38 not only was disastrous for the area, it was catastrophic for the Portuguese Navy Yard. It was completely and totally wiped away. As happens with many events of history, they are overshadowed by relatively greater events and swept away often almost disappearing. A symbolic second hurricane if you will. These images which were generously provided by the New Bedford Whaling Museum and Spinner Publications are the only photos of the Portuguese Navy Yard that are known of. Surely someone, somewhere in an attic, cellar, or dusty photo album there are some forgotten treasures. By all means, if these images stir your memory and you have anything related, please share them!

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