I’m a firm believer that genuine deeds of kindness, selflessness and generosity deserve to be recognized. While most people I know that possess these traits aren’t looking for the recognition, I think it is important to share because it not only shows the community the good that is therein but will become infectious. This is important for others to see, because it can soften the heart of the adult cynic, and will certainly be powerful in forming young minds and personalities.

Did you know that there is a program in the city whereby our youth can gather all summer to take part in supervised, safe and fun activities and also eat healthy meals to fuel up and have even more fun? There is and many aren’t even aware of it.

The “Play in the Park” summer food service program that the New Bedford Parks, Recreation and Beaches operates is an absolutely stellar and generous program that has a powerful impact in the community. Promoting health, wellness, nutrition and outdoor activities are just a few of the objectives. What does that specifically entail for youth in greater New Bedford through the coming summer months?

It means that with over 20 outdoor sites throughout the city and new ones coming, there are many fun, safe, structured recreational and educational activities they can participate in and also enjoy a free lunch. The goal is to get youth outside, stay active, make some new friends, sharpen social skills, and eat healthy during the summer months.

This year a new dinner program called Summer EATS will be introduced. As part of the Summer Food Program it will be running on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 4:00pm-7:00pm at Montes Park. Izzy’s Food Truck will be giving out free dinner to anyone 18 and under and there will be arts & crafts, games, and a free Ben Rose Recreational Basketball clinic during the dinners. The dinner program is rain or shine at Montes Park!

There is no need to sign up for anything – the only requirement is to be 18 and under and want to have a blast. Simply make plans and show up. These free youth activities take place at a variety of sites throughout the city that are strategically located in neighborhoods to maximize access for youth and/or are operated in collaboration with community partners who serve youth across the city. Want to plan to participate but concerned about rain? Not a problem as there are half a dozen indoor and covered sites. So, if you are a parent or guardian go right ahead and plan out the summer.

What I love about the way that the program determines the curriculum of a site’s activities is that they are not rote pre-determined activities, but the staff is so packed with creative ideas that they vary the day depending on the group of kids that show up that day. I call it “structured spontaneity” and it is a sure fire way to create a fun environment. A variety of crafts, games, and sports are utilized so as to appeal to every personality and interest. Even if your child is a bookworm there is something: the Art-Mobile and Book-Mobile also make visits to many of their sites.

A program of this caliber has to be spearheaded by people who care about the community and have a deep love for it. That way those characteristics trickle down to everyone involved. Like attracts like and if you have ever participated in any of the “Play in the Park” programs over the years, you know how evident this is and if you are planning on participating, you will find out.

“All of the staff in our program are New Bedford residents and it allows us to offer many summer positions and job training to them, especially to the many teenage employees we hire. For some of them this is their first job experience and then year after year they tell us how much they love working in our program and being able to give back to their community,” states New Bedford Parks, Recreation & Beaches programs and events manager for Alexandrea Matthews.

The program which facilitates and operates over 65 food sites throughout the city has been a smashing success by serving tens of thousands of meals to low-income youth since it has been running – in 2018 alone they served well over 82,000 meals. Think about the impact on the community this outreach has considering that for many kids it is the only real nutritional meal they will have all week.

While the Summer Food Service Program runs throughout the country, here in New Bedford the program is called “Play in the Park” and it has been running since at least the 1960s. “We strive to reach more families and give out as many meals as possible,” explains Mary Rapoza, the Director of New Bedford Parks, Recreation & Beaches. ”

Parents and grandparents come into our office all the time and tell us their first job was working in “Play in the Park” and let us know about all the great memories they still have of working in the program or they’ll tell us about their favorite thing they used to do with the staff as kids participating in the program.”

The powerful effect of a program that gets the local youth together, gives them an outlet, way to have fun and get fed can’t be stated enough. “Many of the kids that show up at our “Play in the Park” sites come every single day and form a close bond with the staff in our program. It gives them a good role model to look up to and learn from. The staff knows most of the kids who come to their sites by name and what their favorite sports or crafts are and by the end of the summer the staff are always sad when the kids have to go back to school.”

This highlights their “Of the community, for the community, by the community” ethos that drives everything that the program and everyone involved with it does.

Like last year, there will be two big events to kick-off the Summer Food Service Program/Play in the Park. The first will be on Thursday, June 27 at Montes Park from 4:00pm-7:00pm and will feature Izzy’s Food Truck who will be providing the mouth-watering food FREE of charge to all youth 18 and under from 5-6PM. There will be Basketball from 4-7PM with a recreational coach from the Ben Rose Recreational Education Center plus lots of arts & crafts as well as games.

This day will provide the community with a glimpse at what every Tuesday and Thursday will be like through August 22nd, excluding July 4th: FREE meals for kid & teens and lots of fun and healthy activities. See the flyer here.

The second on Friday, June 28 at Brooklawn Park from 11:00am-2:00pm. The special details of these kick-off events are yet to be declared but we’ll update this article as soon as they are announced.

Added this year during the lunch program there will be free lawn bowling program at Hazelwood Park, Mondays and Fridays. The Hayden-McFadden Elementary playground will be the site for the gardening program, a great way for the kids to get their green thumb.

As always, there will, of course, be plenty of activities like face painting, henna tattoos, caricatures, arts & crafts, sports, games and all kinds of hands-on fun at both kick off events!

“We have so much going on this year at our kick-off events and we hope that lots of families will be able to come out and enjoy them!” enthused Alexandrea Matthews. I am confident that anyone that shows up for these kick-off events will get a glimpse of that enthusiasm which is shared by everyone at New Bedford Parks, Recreation & Beaches. Once you get a taste of the kick-off events, you will be starving for more and your kids will be tugging at your coattails to make sure plans are made for the summer involving the “Play in the Park.”

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Annual partners in the Play in the Park and Summer Food Program are the Mayor’s Office, the New Bedford Public Schools Department, the New Bedford Housing Authority, the Boys and Girls Club, the YWCA, Community Boating Center, Trips for Kids, and many other community-based agencies. For more information about the program contact Alexandrea.Matthews@newbedford-ma.gov 508-961-3015.

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New Bedford Parks, Recreation & Beaches
WHEN: Monday-Friday from June 19-August 23
Lunch: Monday – Friday from 11 am to 2 pm
Dinner: Montes Park Tuesday & Thursday 4 pm to 7 pm

WHERE: It will be held at parks, playgrounds, and housing sites across New Bedford. *Locations subject to change.

• Ashley Park
• Brickenwood Housing
• Brooklawn Park
• Buttonwood Park
• Clasky Common Park
• Dottin Place Housing
• Harrington Park
• Hayden-McFadden Playground
• Hazelwood Park
• Gomes School Playground
• Montes Park (Dinner Only)
• Noah’s Playground
• Nashmont Housing
• Parkdale Housing
• Presidential Heights Housing
• Riverside Park Playground
• Roberto Clemente Park
• Ruth Street Playground
• Satellite Housing
• Shawmut Village Housing
• Westlawn Housing

On rain days meals will still be provided at Andrea McCoy Recreation Center, Brooklawn Park, Montes Park (dinner), Roberto Clemente, Riverside Park, West Beach Pavilion.

Phone: 508-961-3015
Website: www.NBPRB.com
Facebook: facebook.com/NBParksRecreationBeaches/
Email: infoprb@newbedford-ma.gov

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The Bedford Regional Airport announced that long-time airline Cape Air has added to their Summer/Fall schedule, running from June 21 to October 15 of 2019.

The Airport will see a total of five daily departures to the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Fridays will receive one additional departure, for a total of six departures on Fridays. The 36 weekly departures are a welcome addition, designed to serve the growing demand of commercial air travel within our region

The islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are also host to seasonal connections with JetBlue Airways and United Airlines, among others. Cape Air has served the New Bedford Regional Airport for nearly three decades, and the airport is proud to maintain its efforts towards commercial service expansion.

The downtown New Bedford Public Library at 613 Pleasant Street will host Story Time with Rhode Island’s Drag Queen Jacqueline DiMera at 11 am on June 29th. The event is open to all ages and no registration is required and will be held in the Children’s Room.

The programming is part of Pride Month.

“At approximately 9:22 am, the Freetown Police Department along with the Freetown Fire Department responded to the Freetown State Forest “Profile Rock” Park for a report of recent damages to the historic rock formation, Old Man of Joshua’s Mountain. First responder(s) and park officials discovered that a large portion of the rock formation had broken off.

State forest officials have closed the park until further notice due to the unsafe environment. The public is encouraged to stay away from the area. For further information, please direct your questions to the main office of the Department of Recreation and Conservation at (617) 626-1250.” -Freetown Police Department.”

Freetown Police Department Photos:

A 26-year-old former New Bedford man who set a multi-family dwelling on fire last February, was sentenced to serve two to three years in state prison yesterday in Fall River Superior Court, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Xavier Betancourt Echevarria pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with arson of a dwelling.

On February 28, 2018 at 1:54 PM New Bedford Fire responded to an active blaze at 330 North Front Street, a multifamily dwelling with several occupied apartments, including one rented by the defendant, Xavier Betancourt Echevarria. During the ensuing investigation into the fire, investigators located a Sunny Delight container with gasoline in it inside the defendant’s bathroom. The Arson K-9 on scene alerted on the rear hallway as the fire’s point of origin and also alerted on the Sunny Delight container.

The defendant, who resided at the apartment with his wife and children, was interviewed by police. During that first interview, the defendant told investigators the container was used by his wife to clean. However, upon speaking with the wife, investigators learned his story was fabricated. During a second interview with police, the defendant admitted he set the building on fire because he was mad at the landlord, who had begun eviction proceedings against the defendant. He told police he bought the gas at a gas station that day, and put it in the Sunny Delight container. He then brought it back to 330 North Front, poured it in the hallway, and started the fire with a lighter he had on his person, he told police. Video surveillance obtained by investigators shows the defendant leave his house, get the gas at the gas station and return to his house.

As a result of the arson, all apartment units had to be evacuated, and the damage from the fire caused 13 people to be displaced at least for that day. It was further learned during the investigation that the defendant recently came from Puerto Rico to live in New Bedford. And, during his district court bail hearing, his defense counsel informed the court that the defendant suffered from various mental health issues which required medication.

Despite prosecutors’ efforts to have the defendant held without bail for up to 120 days as a danger to the community in New Bedford District Court, a judge ruled the defendant was not a danger to the public and also refused to set appropriate bail. Instead, the judge released the defendant on $500 cash bail.

The defendant was subsequently indicted for arson of a dwelling, but never appeared for his arraignment on the indictment in Fall River Superior Court in May of 2018.

A default warrant for the defendant’s arrest was issued in Fall River Superior Court. After an extensive investigation by our office, Massachusetts State Police Troopers assigned to this office tracked the defendant down in Puerto Rico and brought him back into custody in February 2019.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Shawn Guilderson and the state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Raffi Yessayan.

“I am pleased the defendant was held accountable for setting fire to an occupied building. However, bringing the defendant to justice was made much more difficult by the district court releasing him on bail when he should have been held as a danger to the community,” District Attorney Quinn said. “We had to track him down in Puerto Rico and expend unnecessary resources to bring him back into custody. That’s where he should have been in the first place.”

“At about 9:54PM, on Monday, June 17, 2019, officers assigned to District E-13 (Jamaica Plain) responded to a call for a person or persons shot in the area of Mozart and Bolster Streets in Jamaica Plain. On arrival, officers located a male victim on Mozart Street suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene. A second male victim, who was located on Bolster Street, also suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, was transported to an area hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries was pronounced deceased. Both victims have since been identified as Christian Green, 32, of New Bedford and Jose M. Martinez, 34, of Boston.

The Boston Police Department continues to actively review the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is strongly urged to contact Boston Police Homicide Detectives at (617) 343-4470.

Community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of all those who wish to help this investigation in an anonymous manner.

If you find yourself in need of emotional support or needing to talk to someone about distressing events in your community, the Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team (NTT) provides free, private support 24/7 at (617) 431-0125 or by visiting BPHC.org/trauma.” – Boston Police Department.

New Bedford police arrested seven individuals on Tuesday for soliciting a prostitute. The arrests were made on Nye Street and Ashley BLVD.

The following are being charged with paying for sexual conduct:

– 47-year old Brandon Baptista of New Bedford
– 35-year old Aaron Williams of New Bedford
– 56-year old Leonel Almeida of New Bedford
– 43-year old Jason McCormack of Fairhaven
– 30-year old Francois Blanc of Fall River
– 56-year old Leonard Page of West Wareham
– 28-year old Olger Herrera of New Bedford

“So I have an idea and a correction I was wondering if you could bring up to the mayor or write a story.

So I’m very into the local history in New Bedford or just the city in general. The two things I’d like to bring up is:

• The first relates to the River’s End Park in the north end by the Acushnet River just below Tarkiln Hill Road. I believe this site is more historical then the area or the city knows. If you know your history this area was flooded with British troops during the Revolutionary War. I’ve read accounts that thousands of troops poured into this area and had a small battle by that tiny bridge. They were all throughout the sides of the river with British troops on one side and Militias and Patriots on the other.

An American officer named James Metcalf was killed near there yet there is no memorial at the park talking of this battle and I think there should be. I think the park’s name should be changed to “Patriot Park” or “Metcalf Park” in honor of our city history and fight to gain freedom.

• The second thing I noticed is an error. There is a sign on that bridge that is a memorial to James Metcalf yet the sign says Jonathan Metcalf. I dug deeper and everything I’ve read [in historical documents] says James Metcalf. I even found his grave in Acushnet cemetery and it says James Metcalf.

Is there a way the sign can be corrected?” -Sean Silva

Joe Rand, the Directors of Teen Challenge Massachusetts, talked about the We Do Recover Wall at the Run to End Addiction at Bridgewater State University earlier this month.

The City of New Bedford, in a comprehensive effort to ensure the entire population of the City is accurately counted in the 2020 Census, has taken new steps in preparing for the Census. The City is pleased to announce the formation of a New Bedford Complete Count Committee, a public-private partnership composed of 18 members (with 13 drawn from the community and 5 from City government).

Over the coming weeks, the Committee will be formulating its plans, in cooperation with the U.S. Census Bureau regional office, for extensive outreach in New Bedford neighborhoods. Its efforts to mobilize the community and engage residents will continue throughout 2019 and through the completion of the Census in 2020. Together the Committee will work to provide resources and accurate information designed to motivate residents to respond to the Census.

Members of the New Bedford Complete Count Committee include:

• Mayor Jon Mitchell
• Helena DaSilva Hughes of the Immigrants’ Assistance Center – Co-Chair
• Rev. David Lima of the Inter-Church Council of Greater New Bedford – Co-Chair
• Corinn Williams of the Community Economic Development Center
• Adrian Ventura of the Centro Communitario Trabajadores
• Rev. Tony Youssef of Our Lady of Purgatory Church
• Rev. Robert Hughes
• Olivia Melo, Director of the New Bedford Library system
• Marci-Pina Christian, New Bedford Department of Community Services
• Patrick Sullivan, Director of City of New Bedford Housing and Community Development
• Manny DeBrito, City of New Bedford Election Commissioner
• Derek Santos, Executive Director of the New Bedford Economic Development Center
• Thomas Anderson, Superintendent of New Bedford Public Schools
• William Burns, Director of Government & Community Affairs for Southcoast Health
• Rick Kidder, CEO of the Southcoast Chamber of Commerce
• John Vasconcellos, President of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts
• Carl Alves, Executive Director of PAACA
• Pam Kuechler, Executive Director of PACE

The City’s first Census Outreach Coordinator, Lynn Coish, was also introduced at today’s kickoff as well. For the past 12 years, Ms. Coish worked for the Buzzards Bay Coalition as administrative assistant and volunteer coordinator. For the past 14 years, she has also served as the team leader of Operation Clean Sweep in New Bedford.

In addition to the New Bedford Complete Count Committee, a New Bedford Complete Count Council is being organized to recognize the many other businesses and groups that may want to lend their support in various ways over the next year and be recognized for these efforts. Interested groups are encouraged to contact Census Outreach Coordinator Lynn Coish.

What’s At Stake For New Bedford
Census numbers directly affect the amount of funding the federal government directs towards New Bedford. Conducting an accurate Census is critical to ensuring that New Bedford gets its fair share of federal for the people, services and projects in the city. If individuals are not counted, important programs that city families rely on will not be adequately funded – for the next ten years. These programs include:

• Title I school funding
• Hospitals/Medicaid funding
• Childcare subsidies and more

According to the Massachusetts Census Equity Fund, every person counted means $2,372 federal funding (average state-level figure). Mid-size cities including New Bedford are among the hardest to count in Massachusetts, and New Bedford is at significant risk of being undercounted in the 2020 Census.

In addition, the results of the Census are used to reapportion the U.S. House of Representatives, determining how many congressional seats each state is assigned. The Census results in the redrawing of boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts to account for population shifts.

City residents should know that their privacy is protected in the Census process. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share residents’ information or answers with any other government agency. It is a federal crime to release census information; information is used for statistics only.

For more information on how you can get involved with the New Bedford Complete Count Committee, contact Lynn Coish at 508.979.1410 or lynn.coish@newbedford-ma.gov.