Oktoberfest is the largest “People’s Festival” on the planet. The festival was originally created to celebrate the marriage of Germany’s King Ludwig I to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, in Munich more than two centuries ago. All citizens were invited to celebrate with the royal family on the fields in front of the city gates.

There was a parade, music & dancing, horse races, wine and beer tasting, bowling, games, and of course, mouth-watering food. Outside of good excuses – battling with Napoleon’s troops, a Cholera epidemic, and a few wars – the festival would take place each year with various activities being added or removed.

The two-week long festival would continue to grow in popularity and any non-German nationals that were fortunate enough to be in the country during the festival would, of course, partake in the celebration. Clearly, this left an indelible impression – one powerful enough to adopt the idea for the nations that these folks returned to.

Today, Oktoberfest is celebrated in scores of countries – complete with the Polka music, bratwurst, and of course, beer. Since America’s largest ancestral group is German, it should come as no surprise that Oktoberfest took root as a popular excuse to drink, dance and have fun.

On the South Coast, there’s no bigger and better version of Oktoberfest than New Bedford’s own, NBOktoberfest. Organized by the South Coast Business Alliance, the festival is now on its 12th year and has become one of the city’s most popular annual events.

What makes New bedford Oktoberfest an even more special one, is that the South Coast Business Alliance also pairs each event with charitable organizations by donating part of its proceeds – well over $500,000 since its inception. They have focused their efforts on at-risk youth programming and various other organizations around the South Coast. Most recently they started the SCBA UMass-Dartmouth Scholarship Fund which provides a scholarship to one graduating senior with demonstrated financial need.

Additionally, they donate to the Children’s Advocacy Center of Bristol County, supported organizations like Star Kids, the Zeiterion Theater, The Boys and Girls Club of Greater New Bedford, Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and many more. Several of their members have also received the South Coast Emerging 5 Award awarded each year to five recipients under 40 for their contributions and support within the community, including the President Jason Almeida, Vice President Amy Winn-Blier, Treasurer Christopher Moniz, Chair Kevin Trahan and Secretary Deborah Soares.

So, simply by attending the event you not only have a complete, total blast, but you can feel good that you contributed to a local charity, and benefited the community in some way. Wunderbar!

Die Kost (FOOD!)
One of life’s most hedonistic treats is to walk about a festival and enjoy all the wonderful aromas emanating from food being prepared. The wafting smells of various types of fare are a complete assault on the nose….and what fun it is to navigate from food truck, to stand, to tent. Eat, dance, relax and even people watch.

Want to know what to expect? Read on, mein guter Kumpel. This year most vendors that you enjoyed in the past, will be returning.FanCheezical Food Truck is a food truck out of Providence that serves grilled cheese sandwiches and sides. There’s the Old Skool “like mom used to make,” a BBQ 2.0: house smoked pulled pork w/ homemade BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese, the #19: Prosciutto, arugula and apricot spread w/ cheddar cheese, the Bay of Pigs: bacon, ham, pulled pork, cheddar cheese and special Cuban sauce and others. Sides include homemade tomato bisque, corn in a cup with Cojito cheese and cilantro, Aurora’s Salad which contains watermelon, tomatoes, basil and feta and a few others.

Everyone loves the Two Sisters Food Truck and they will be making their first appearance at this year’s event. Your favorite Portuguese favorites will be served with love and passion from Caitlyn, Courtney and crew – mouth watering Cacoila, Shrimp Mozambique, Bifana sandwiches and platters, Kale soup, linguiça, fries, rice, and more including Sumol to wash it down.

The Bearded Chicken Food Truck will be offering its eclectic menu of various chicken recipes with a variety of sauces and rubs. There are flavors like the Portuguese Buffalo, Flying Hawaiian, Sriracha-Doodle-Do, Garlic Fever, the Sticky general (General Tso’s), Bearded Jerk, Macon Baple, The Reaper (yes, with Carolina Reapers), and many, many more with sides, desserts, etc. A full menu can be read here.

With all this savory food, you’ll want some pastries and java and relatively new to New Bedford is The Baker on Pleasant Street making incredibly delicious pastries, muffins, bagels, pretzels, doughnuts, and more from scratch along with your favorite coffees, espressos, lattes and teas. They also make all the classic deli sandwiches like roast beef, turkey, BLT, veggie, and tomato and mozzarella.

Finally, there is no such thing as an ice cream season. We can have ice cream in fall and even in winter if we want – no one can stop us! We don’t need anyone talking negative like that in our life. Cool Licks Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt will be serving dozens of traditional and not so traditional flavors of soft and hard ice cream as well as frozen yogurt, frozen slushes and shakes. Peach, German Chocolate, Blueberry Cheesecake, Bubble Gum, Pina Colada, Run Raisin, and on and on and on.

Doesn’t that sound schmecklich? Doch!

Die Musick
Providing the vibe and atmosphere will be some of the best local musical acts. New Bedford’s own, The Pourmen will showcase their Celtic-Folk-Acoustic Punk talents. Following them will be the everyone’s favorite, “Whiskey Poet” Craig DeMelo & Friends and finally the headliners, Boston based Jon Bon Jovi cover band Living On A Bad Name. Middlehouse Systems has generously provided the sound system to make it all possible.

Das Bier

No Oktoberfest, anywhere on the planet, is complete without beer. There will be over 50 beers present this year and 35 of them will be regional, including Buzzards Bay Brewery, Sam Ofest, Angry Orchard, Downeast Cranberry, Traveler Jack-O Pumpkin Shandy, Cisco Pumple Drumkin, Cisco Sankaty Light, Troegs Hopknife, Weihenstephaner Festbier, Von Trapp Ofest, Mayflower, Narragansett, Troeg’s, Brooklyn, FoolProof and many more. This is double the variety of beers that last year had, and this year gluten free beer, ciders and sangria have been added to the menu. Chances are your favorite will be there and the only difficulty will be which beer to pair with your pizza, hot dog, hamburger or Wurst Ques.” The first-world struggle is real!

The State Pier is an ideal spot for Oktoberfest. The time of year is perfect for mild weather – the sun is still high enough in the sky, the mornings are cool and the days are warm, but not hot. There is never an issue with rain, since most of what happens at Oktoberfest takes place indoors. Regardless there will be a massive tent provided by Chase Canopy set up on the working waterfront. There will be a Corn Hole game for those who wish for a little extra-curricular activity. If you are looking for a fun day out with the pals or gals, or perhaps just that special someone, this October 14th will be the day to set aside – mark those calendars because it is an event you won’t want to miss out on!

In addition, Beer Sampler tickets will be available for $15 advance tickets/$20 at door. If you are interested in purchasing tickets for the event, you can do so at eventbrite.com/e/scbas-12th-annual-oktoberfest-tickets-37707270461. So, grab your Krug (or as the Dummköpfen say “Steins”) and let out a cry of “Zum Pröst!!”

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12th Annual New Bedford Oktoberfest
When: Saturday, Oktober 14, 2017 from 3:00pm-11:45pm
Where: State Pier Ferry Terminal/49 State Pier
Facebook: facebook.com/nboktoberfest
Website: scballiance.org/

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New Bedford City Councilor Ian Abreu’s motion to have the Health Department consider requiring New Bedford food establishments with less than 25 patrons to have CPR training passed a unanimous voice vote during the New Bedford City Council meeting on 28 September, 2017.

The motion reads as follows:

WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Abreu, requesting, that the City Council engage in dialogue with our Health Department and the Department of Inspectional Services about implementing mandatory CPR and Heimlich training and certifications for all New Bedford restaurants, bars, food-related cafes and establishments which seat less than 25 patrons, currently, Massachusetts General Law (105:CMR – Mass Dept. of Health 590.003(A)(2) Mgmt. and Personnel) has only established a mandatory statewide law for all restaurants which seat 25 or more patrons that they must have on its premises while food is being served a person trained and certified in CPR; and further, a collaborative approach on the local level on this issue could help potentially save lives. (To be Referred to the Committee on Ordinances, the Health Department and the Department of Inspectional Services.)

“A constituent and personal friend of mine had recently choked at a local restaurant here in our city, and unfortunately for her, the restaurant staff was not prepared to assist her in her time of desperate need,” said Councilor Abreu. “Luckily, 911 was called and her life was saved. What happened to my friend inspired me to delve into our local policies and procedures centered around CPR and Heimlich certifications/trainings at our local food-related establishments.”

Councilor Abreu continued, Upon further investigation, what I had found was that, according to Mass General Law (105:CMR – Mass Dept. of Health 590.003(A)(2) Mgmt and Personnel), all food-related establishments which seat 25 or more patrons must at all times have someone on the floor who is CPR-certified. However, if a food-related establishment seats less than 25 patrons, they do not need to have someone on the floor who is CPR-certified. This, to me, is troubling, because someone can have a heart attack or choke on a piece of food just as easily at a small café as they can at a large restaurant.”

The passing by a voice vote means the motion is sent to the Committee on Ordinances, the Health Department and the Department of Inspectional Services to have a draft ordinance crafted. Once complete, the City Council will vote on the final ordinance at a future date.

New Bedford Police, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the district attorney’s office and Homicide Unit Prosecutors are actively investigating a homicide, which occurred this morning in The City of New Bedford.

Police received a 911 call this morning around 6:30 a.m. in regards to a potential drug overdose outside of 45 Tallman Street. However, when police and rescue personnel arrived on scene, they found the victim was suffering from multiple stab wounds.

The victim, a 47-year-old New Bedford man, was rushed to Saint Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, where he was pronounced dead later in the morning. The victim is not being publicly identified at this time since his next of kin has yet to be located and notified of his death.

There is no one in custody at this time connected to the homicide.

Incumbent New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell and New Bedford police officer Charlie Perry move on to the November 7th final municipal election. In yesterday’s election, Jon Mitchell received 2,707 votes to Charlie Perry’s 2,376, giving the incumbent mayor a 13.9% lead over Charlie Perry. Mitchell Garner finished third with 209 votes and is the odd man out in November. Voter turnout was 9.4% – 5,384 of the 57,187 registered voters participated.

As of 4 Oct, 2017, incumbent New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell had a balance of $203,552.94 in his campaign war chest, raising $28,395.80 alone in the first two weeks of August. As of Oct 2, 2017, Charlie Perry had an ending balance of $2,828.29, spending just over $5,000 since August. Mitchell Garner raised $85 and spent $74.95.

Full election results to include City Council races can be found here.

Want to discuss all things New Bedford politics? Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/newbedfordpolitics/

Here are the results of the New Bedford preliminary election held on Tuesday, October 3, 2017. The top two candidates move on to the final election on November 7th, 2017. Voter turnout was 9.4% – 5,384 of the 57,187 registered voters participated.

Mayor
Jon Mitchell – 2,707
Charlie Perry – 2,376

ELIMINATED:
Mitchell Garner – 209

Ward 1 City Council
Melissa Costa – 240
William Markey – 218

ELIMINATED:
Daniel Costa – 210
Christopher Amaral – 190
Steven Caton – 145
Randy Santos – 74
Mark Ventura – 58

Ward 2 City Council
Maria Giesta – 340
Edwin Cartagena – 111

ELIMINATED:
Carlos Pimentel Felix – 74

Ward 4 City Council
Dana Rebeiro – 409
Joseph Jo-Jo Fortes – 406

ELIMINATED:
Kenneth Gilbert – 203

Ward 5 City Council
Scott Lima – 462
Paul Chasse – 337

ELIMINATED:
Kate Towers – 311
Nelson Macedo – 295
David Sullivan – 66

Want to discuss all things New Bedford politics? Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/newbedfordpolitics/

PAY: $15/HR

Assists the Department of Parks, Recreation & Beaches (PRB) in maintaining and supervising various programs for children. Supervises After School Program Site Monitors. Ensures a safe, productive and caring environment for children and staff. Develops programming for children in the program with the PRB staff. Serves as a mentor and academic support supervisor for a group of children. Provides daily academic support to group of children. Supervises daily activities such as physical fitness, arts and crafts, and more. Responsible for providing a safe place for kids to learn and have fun. Maintains records as required such as attendance and snack counts. Must have a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check, mandatory by MGL Chapter 6 Sec. 172C.

For application/complete job description, please visit www.newbedford-ma.gov or contact the Personnel Dept., 133 William St., Room 212, 508-979-1444. Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate is found. New Bedford has a residency requirement. EEO

A Framingham man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for sexually exploiting approximately 150 boys by posing as a teenage girl on the internet and convincing the boys to send nude photos and videos of themselves to him.

Curtis Simoneau, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 17 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. Simoneau will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from federal prison. In June 2017, Simoneau pleaded guilty to two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography.

On March 7, 2016, law enforcement in central Massachusetts responded to a complaint regarding the possible sexual exploitation of a 13-year-old boy. When an officer interviewed the victim and his parents, the victim said he began communicating with “LJ” via KiK Messenger, a mobile instant messaging app, in December 2015.

Simoneau, posing online as “LJ,” told the victim that he was a 14-year-old girl living in Maine and offered to exchange nude images and nude videos with the victim, which they did on multiple occasions. The victim believed he was in an online relationship with “LJ.” The victim also told law enforcement that he had introduced his friend, a 12-year-old boy, to “LJ” via KiK, and that his friend and “LJ” also exchanged nude images. An interview with the second victim confirmed that he too had exchanged nude images with “LJ.”

Law enforcement was able to identify Simoneau as the individual who was posing as “LJ” as well as confirm his Framingham address. The investigation further determined that Simoneau was previously convicted in a Massachusetts state court of possession of child pornography and placed on probation.

During a search of Simoneau’s home on Aug. 4, 2016, 1,128 videos of child pornography and 712 photos of child pornography were discovered on Simoneau’s digital devices. Most of the child pornography in Simoneau’s collection had been sent to him by boys who believed they were sending nude and sexually suggestive material of themselves to a teenage girl. In total, Simoneau victimized approximately 150 boys.

Are you a woman who is fed up with cat calls, rude or explicit comments, or uncalled for behavior by simply walking to the store? Annoyed with being made uncomfortable with everyday activities being turned into a horrible experience? Many people complain that a nice stroll with their kids becomes a lesson in how not to act. Sadly, these uninvited comments are considered acceptable even when very young children are about. Do you feel this is becoming more commonplace? When is it crossing the line? Will speaking up just aggravate the situation?

One resident shares her thoughts from a recent experience.

“Hi, I’ve been noticing a lot more leering/sexual harassment from guys lately around my local neighborhood when I walk my dog – especially by the coffee shop on Acushnet Ave near Tarkiln Hill Road.

I called the shop and complained, but they said there is nothing they can do and this problem has been going on for 20 years! It especially bothers me when my little ones are with me, I’m not sure who they are leering at! Anyway, was proposing that you cover a piece related to this in an effort to improve New Bedford’s culture. I feel like I should be able to walk around my neighborhood comfortably without getting harassed and then people just waving it off because “That’s New Bedford…” I want this city to get better.” -Anonymous

PAY: $12/HR

Assists the Department of Parks, Recreation & Beaches in maintaining and supervising various programs for children. Serves as a mentor and academic support supervisor for a group of children. Provides daily academic support to group of children. Supervises daily activities such as physical fitness, arts and crafts, and more. Responsible for providing a safe place for kids to learn and have fun. Must have a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check, mandatory by MGL Chapter 6 Sec. 172C.

For application/complete job description, please visit www.newbedford-ma.gov or contact the Personnel Dept., 133 William St., Room 212, 508-979-1444. Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate is found. New Bedford has a residency requirement. EEO

On Tuesday at approximately 1:50 a.m., Trooper Michael Geniglia, working out of the State Police Newbury Barracks, was patrolling Interstate 95 northbound in Boxford when he observed a white Nissan Altima with temporary Virginia plates traveling in the left lane not actively passing any other vehicles and drifting over the fog line toward the median. Trooper Geniglia activated his emergency lights, and conducted a motor vehicle stop. The Nissan slowed to a nearly complete stop in the left lane and the drivers head ducked out of view. The driver was directed to pull into the breakdown lane.

Trooper Geniglia approached on the passenger side, as he did the driver lit a cigarette. The driver gave a Texas driver’s license which identified him as a 30-year-old male from Houston, TX. As the driver reached over to hand the Trooper his license a large fixed blade knife could be seen in the driver’s door. Trooper Geniglia also observed a soft shell rifle case on the floor in the rear of the Nissan.

In fear for his safety with the driver ducking out of view and several weapons visible, Trooper Geniglia had the driver exit the vehicle. As the driver did so he put hand in his right pocket. Trooper Geniglia quickly removed his hand and located a loaded 9mm magazine. A pat frisk revealed an empty holster and a folding knife. The driver was placed in handcuffs and secured in the cruiser.

A check of the area that the driver had immediate access revealed a loaded 9mm Ruger LC9 pistol, 3 additional loaded 9mm magazines and a loaded 20 gauge Mossberg 500 shotgun. Located in the trunk was a unloaded Savage B-mag 17 bolt action rifle, 159 cartridges of 9mm ammunition, 100 cartridges of 17 Win Super Mag ammunition and 100 20 Gauge shot shells.

Trooper Geniglia determined that the driver did not have a license to carry a firearm or a Firearms Identification Card. He was transported to the Newbury Barracks where he was booked on the following charges.

1. Carrying a loaded firearm;
2. Carrying a loaded firearm;
3. Carrying a firearm;
4. Possession of a firearm without an FID card;
5. Possession of ammunition without an FID card;
6. Marked lanes violation;
7. Failure to drive in right lane

Bail was set at $10,000. Following booking at the barracks, the driver was transported to the Middleton House of Correction in Middleton.